Advocacy
(Un)heard Voices: Domestic Violence in the Asian American Community (pdf)
This publication is based on the results of a focus group with Asian immigrant women and Asian American women from different backgrounds. Various questions and issues are addressed such as identifying victims and perpetrators, prevalence of domestic violence in Asian communities, barriers confronting Asian women and more. The report also gives recommendations to service providers and a national list of organizations committed to serving battered Asian women.
52 Days of Domestic Violence Flu in America (pdf)
In this article, the author highlights that in the midst of public health concerns such as the swine flu, domestic violence is another pandemic that often goes unnoticed with majority of the fatalities involving men as the perpetrators of violence against women and children. The article concludes with a list of victims and their killers and serves as a reminder that domestic violence has been, and continues to be a concern for all to address.
"This paper examines the process Vermont used, including areas of both agreement and uncertainty, and introduces the protocol to a wider audience of interveners. It draws on a review of planning notes and other documents and a series of interviews with those who participated in shaping the process and the protocol. It provides a starting point for other communities to explore their own response to children at domestic violence incidents, as well as an approach that can be used to examine other aspects of intervention."
A Comparison of Domestic Violence Advocacy Models (pdf)
This document contains a chart comparing domestic violence advocacy models and serves as a reference for effective advocacy for Latinas.
A Development Approach to Working with Teen Victims (pdf)
This issue brief discusses the need for service providers to understand adolescent development in order to effectively provide interventions for teen victims of abuse.
A High-Tech Twist on Abuse: Technology, Intimate Partner Stalking, and Advocacy
This Violence Against Women Online Resources commissioned document summarizes the existing knowledge on the use of technology to stalk. The author uses both published literature and contributions provided by numerous survivors’ reports to provide current information on the variety of sophisticated tools that are being used to stalk current and former intimate partners. The article also provides specific strategies for advocates, including safety planning information, a resource list, and a handout for survivors.
This resource was designed to highlight and explore effective trauma-informed conditions or core values that victims, survivors and people with disabilities are finding essential for safety and healing. This document is a guide, not a manual. It is designed to lead readers on a journey of exploration into the context of these conditions to promote dialogue and understanding, and spur implementation of strategies for domestic violence, sexual assault and disability organizations to become more trauma-informed.
A Practical Guide to Evaluating Domestic Violence Coordinating Councils (pdf)
The goal of this manual is to make evaluation a little easier by providing some practical strategies for evaluating the work of your council.
Adaptation Guidelines for Serving Latino Children and Families Affected by Trauma (pdf)
"This document was created by experts in the fields of child trauma research, clinical practice, policy and cultural diversity to serve as a resource for anyone who works with Latino families who have experienced traumatic events. There are 12 priority areas covered ranging from micro issues (assessment and provision of therapy) to macro issues (organizational competence and policy). Each one includes an overview of the priority area, recommendations for improving practice based on that priority area, and additional resources for further information. Portions of these guidelines are geared for advocates and therapists, while other priority areas are designed for program administrators and policy makers."
Additional Scripts for Clinic Assessment (pdf)
This document is created for healthcare professionals and provides a series of scripted questions and responses when working with victims of violence. The information is intended to help communicate all the information needed to give to a patient as well as responding to immediate safety issues and making referrals.
Addressing Gender-based Violence: UNFPA Strategy and Framework for Action (pdf)
This report, grounded in UNFPA's overarching goal of eliminating violence against women and girls, identifies particular areas where action is most urgently needed and proposes general policy frameworks for combating gender-based violence.
Advocacy Beyond Leaving: Helping Battered Women in Contact With Current or Former Partners (pdf)
A guide for domestic violence advocates providing information on improving outreach and responses to domestic violence victims who are in contact with their partners or children’s fathers. This guide addresses how to identify safety strategies, find resources and to know what to say when a victim’s focus and goals are to remain in contact, remain in the relationship or to improve their children’s relationship with their father.
Advocacy Challenges in a CCR: Protecting Confidentiality While Promoting a Coordinated Response (pdf)
This article examines the conflict advocates face between the victims’ need for confidentiality and the broader need for collaboration in a CCR, and explores how an advocacy program balances these two seemingly competing interests. This article provides helpful insight into how an advocacy program remain an effective partner within a CCR while still protecting the confidentiality of the battered women it serves.
Advocacy in a Coordinated Community Response: Overview and Highlights of Three Programs
This article gives an overview of advocacy - namely individual advocacy and systems advocacy and describes them as an integral part of community response. It also stresses the importance of each type of advocacy working collectively in enabling battered women to overcome obstacles.
Advocates Serve a Distinct and Different Role Than Paralegal Prosecution Staff
A report about the differences between advocates and paralegals and how each role affects the justice system.
Advocating for Domestic Violence Victims Who Have Been Arrested for Domestic Violence
This article examines the impact of increasing arrest rates of women in domestic violence investigations and offers advocates information on how to assist victims that have been arrested.
The handbook consisits of various practical forms which were developed by advocates to evaluate criminal justice services for women in cases of rape, domestic violence and child abuse. It also has theoretical chapters on understanding how criminal justice systems can help and harm women.
An Advocate's Guide to Full Faith and Credit
This guide was developed for advocates who assist victims of domestic violence with orders for protection. It provides a glossary of full faith and credit terminology, advocate tips, and information about enforcement of full faith and credit legislation.
This report is about Minnesota's shelters for battered women and their children. Shelters include residential facilities and a network of hotels, motels, and safe homes used by shelter providers. Residential shelters offer, at a minimum, security, lodging, and meals, and are available 24 hours per day. Shelter staff and volunteers also advocate for battered women and offer a variety of services to help women escape abuse and move on to a better life. Although shelters are independent, nonprofit entities, they receive most of their financial support from the state.
Asking About and Responding to Survivors' Experiences of Abuse Related to Mental Health (pdf)
This tipsheet offers ways of assisting victims with mental health concerns and provides examples of things that a survivor might be experiencing and how an advocate could respond.
Assessing Social Risks of Battered Women (pdf)
This document explores the concept of safety planning. Specifically that effective risk assessment must take into account the diverse social factors of a battered woman’s life that impact her choices and decisions, especially regarding her experiences of battering.
The third website installment profiles 13 communities that have undertaken efforts to reduce and prevent violence against women. The communities have developed a coordinated criminal justice response while maintaining a focus on victim safety and offender accountability.
Balancing Obligations: Serving Teen Victims and Mandated Reporting of Statutory Rape (pdf)
This issue brief addresses the importance of preserving confidentiality while working with teen victims of abuse, at the same time fulfilling the service provider's legal duties.
Best Practice Toolkit for Working with Domestic Violence Survivors with Criminal Histories (pdf)
Domestic violence agencies are committed to assisting survivors with their complex needs, but individual, community, and system-level barriers can make it difficult for them to provide the necessary supports to help women with criminal histories succeed. The focus of this toolkit is to provide practical tips about effectively assisting any woman charged or convicted of any crime who is also a victim of domestic violence.
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (pdf)
"A guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in Spanish."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (Spanish) (pdf)
"The first ever guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in English."
This document presents ideas, concepts, and strategies to encourage community-based domestic violence advocates and their law enforcement allies to consider new approaches to partnership and problem-solving.
Building Bridges Between Domestic Violence Organizations and Child Protective Services
This paper provides both background information and a framework for collaboration with child protection agencies that will support the work of domestic violence advocates as they try to improve safety for women and their children.
Building Capacity in Child Welfare Systems: Domestic Violence Specialized Positions (pdf)
"The report seeks to assist policymakers and practitioners in developing specialist positions that are tailored to the circumstances of their communities and states. We offer observations about initial expectations for these positions and the evolution of the positions over time. We also set forth composite examples of each of the major types of specialized positions and lay out the components of each, including responsibilities, auspices and settings, competencies, and funding sources. By doing so, we highlight different approaches to improving understanding 2 of domestic violence and strengthening the likelihood of achieving safety for non-offending parents and their children."
Building Domestic Violence Health Care Responses: A Promising Practices Report (pdf)
"A new report that documents dramatic improvements in the health system’s response to domestic violence at Indian, Tribal and Urban health care facilities across the United States. It offers a series of recommendations to continue the progress and ensure that many more American Indian/Alaska Native domestic violence victims get the help that they need when they seek medical care at clinics and hospitals."
Building Opportunities for Battered Women's Safety and Self-Sufficiency
Practice paper from a series of papers for an initiative to provide technical assistance to state administrators and domestic violence advocates implementing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) in TANF and child support enforcement (CSE) contexts. This initiative is a partnership between the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRC) and the Administration for Children and Families, DHHS. This paper, Practice Paper #1, includes background information about domestic violence and the options battered women need to be safe and self-sufficient, and concise discussions of key implementation issues.
This manual provides suggestions and guidance on how to organize projects at improving services and eliminating barriers for ensuring safety for battered rural immigrant women.
California Batterer Intervention Systems Study (pdf)
This study on batterer intervention programs in the state of California encompasses 5 counties, 53 batterer intervention programs that provide client data, and over 1,000 men enrolled in those programs. The study found that the individual characteristics of the offenders, and not the program they were enrolled in nor the features of the specific court they were sentenced in, were the strongest predictors of outcomes.
Casa de Esperanza: Mobilizing Latinas and Latino Communities to End Domestic Violence
This issue of the BCS newsletter features the strengths-based, community engagement approach of Casa de Esperanza, of St. Paul, MN. The main article describes their work of mobilizing Latinas and Latino communities to end domestic violence. Lessons learned are highlighted.
Center for Survivor Agency & Justice
The Center for Survivor Agency and Justice is a national organization dedicated to enhancing advocacy for survivors of intimate partner violence. CSAJ seeks to promote survivor-centered advocacy by improving the work of attorneys, by organizing communities, and by offering leadership on critical issues facing survivors and advocates throughout the nation.
November 1997. This paper is meant to serve as a working document rather than the "last word," and it will be subject to revision as child welfare and domestic violence agencies on the vanguard of creating partnerships learn more about the link between child abuse and domestic violence, and how to best protect both children and their abused mothers. While the suggested practices and policies are by no means exhaustive, it is hoped that setting them out will save agencies from having to "reinvent the wheel," and will, at the same time, motivate them to add additional "spokes."
November 1997. This paper is meant to serve as a working document rather than the "last word," and it will be subject to revision as child welfare and domestic violence agencies on the vanguard of creating partnerships learn more about the link between child abuse and domestic violence, and how to best protect both children and their abused mothers. While the suggested practices and policies are by no means exhaustive, it is hoped that setting them out will save agencies from having to "reinvent the wheel," and will, at the same time, motivate them to add additional "spokes."
"Child and Family Service Reviews (CFSRs) evaluate public child welfare systems to determine how well they achieve safety, permanency, and well-being in difficult situations of neglect, physical and sexual abuse, and co-existing domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health issues, poverty, and community violence. This guide can help stakeholders develop effective (Program Improvement Plans) PIPs for achieving safety, permanency, and well-being in domestic violence cases, and to identify or anticipate related technical assistance needs."
Chinese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Chinese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Collaborating to Help Trafficking Survivors: Emerging Issues and Practice Pointers (pdf)
"This manual is for those committed to assisting trafficking survivors, especially sexual assault and domestic violence advocates and their allies in the criminal and legal systems who have basic knowledge of the trafficking assistance process. This manual examines issues and promising practices that have emerged during the six years since the federal government decided in 2000 to devote significant attention to trafficking and its victims."
Community Engagement Curriculum Guide (pdf)
This training curriculum is based on a report from the API Institute on Domestic Violence titled "The Community Engagement Continuum: Outreach, Mobilization, Organizing and Accountability to Address Violence Against Women in Asian & Pacific Islander Communities".
"This is a client-centered tool for civil attorneys new to representing victims of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking to provide comprehensive representation and advocacy for their clients."
Confidentiality & Information Sharing (pdf)
This document addresses the legal and confidentiality issues advocates face when working with the child protection system and juvenile courts. It also encourages advocacy, and focuses on the information issues advocates face when they counsel battered mothers whose children have been placed in the child protection system. Advocates need to know what to do with the information they gather from victims of domestic violence and what the laws say about how they use that information. Each section offers tips and suggestions for advocates, questions for their consideration, and examples of effective practices. The appendix features worksheets that expand upon the topics addressed in each section.
Confidentiality: An Advocates Guide (pdf)
Confidentiality and privilege are key to keeping battered women safe and represent the cornerstones of all successful advocacy and shelter programs. This guide is intended to familiarize advocates with a variety of laws, policies, requirements, and best practices on the topic of confidentiality .
Conflict Resolution Tools for Domestic Violence Shelter Staff
"This special collection includes selected materials and resources intended to equip advocates with a contextual framework and practical skills to better resolve conflicts that often arise within a shelter environment."
Connecting the Dots: Children’s Exposure to Violence and Home Visiting Programs
The goal of this article, which is part of the Spring 2011 issue of Family Violence Prevention Fund's e-Journal: Family Violence Prevention and Health Practice, is to raise awareness and provide practical suggestions to bridge the disconnect between home visiting programs and addressing the needs of children exposed to domestic violence and their families.
Covering Domestic Violence: A Guide for Journalists and Other Media Professionals
The information in this guide will help link journalists to domestic violence advocates in their community, who can be utilized as sources to improve coverage. By accurately covering domestic violence homicides and avoiding sources and questions that perpetuate myths, journalists can make a significant difference in helping the community understand how domestic violence can go unchecked to the point of murder.
Criminal Prosecution of Domestic Violence
This article identifies appropriate goals to be pursued in woman battering and the special challenges these cases present to prosecutors. It offers guidelines for improving collaboration between prosecutors and advocates.
This publication provides information about the use of cross-system dialogue to facilitate communication among representatives working in the domestic violence, child welfare, and court system. Strategies for professionals responding to family violence and child maltreatment are also provided.
Culture Handbook for working with those who have experienced sexual or domestic violence (pdf)
"This handbook is designed to be used by advocates and professionals who work with those who are victims of domestic and sexual violence. It provides some basic information on how to understand culture and begin the process of challenging oneself to become more aware of the ways in which culture impacts our work and the lives of those who are victims."
Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing and a Victim of Domestic Violence
If you are Deaf, DeafBlind or Hard-of-Hearing and also a victim of domestic violence (or an advocate working with someone who is) this resource may be helpful to you. Developed in 2004, the information is divided into four sections: information on programs; questions victim/survivors often ask; information for advocates regarding Deaf culture; and Deaf specific general resources.
Domestic Violence Advocates and the Unauthorized Practice of Law (pdf)
This document is intended for both volunteer and paid staff of nongovernmental domestic violence programs who work directly with victims of domestic violence currently engaged in one or more legal matters related to their battering. This document is intended to highlight the possible issues for advocates and provide suggestions for better advocacy practice; it is not intended as, and should not be construed as, the provision of legal advice in any capacity.
Domestic Violence and Faith Based Communities: Focus on African American Communities
"We know that domestic violence crosses all racial lines and that the root causes are sexism and the acceptance of violence against women in society. However, the dynamics of and contributors to domestic violence are culturally specific. This forum highlights some of the common, complex and culturally specific contributors to violence against African American women. It addresses the role of faith as a resource and a roadblock and offer concrete ways in which faith communities can respond to and support abused women and their children in the African American Community. Hosted by: Aleese Moore-Orbih"
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper provides recommendations to family support staff and administrator to address issue of domestic violence.
Domestic Violence and Health Care
"This special collection on health care and domestic violence draws heavily from the work of the Family Violence Prevention Fund's Health Resource Center. The resources included in this special collection are organized into the following five areas: 1) the impact of domestic violence on health; 2) public health approaches to domestic violence prevention; 3) guidelines and issues concerning identification and intervention by health care providers; 4) information about collaboration between health care providers and domestic violence advocates; and 5) training. This special collection also includes a bibliography of related journal articles."
Domestic Violence and the Gay Community: A Right to Peace and Safety
An article on the myths and realities about domestic violence in the LGBT community. Also included is a list of resources for LGBT victims of domestic violence.
Domestic Violence Civil Protection Orders (CPOs) By State (pdf)
A chart that lists domestic violence civil protection orders (CPOs) by state.
Domestic Violence Counts 2008: A 24-hour census of domestic violence shelters and services
This report is the most recent data documenting the number of individuals who seek services in a 24 hour period, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive tirelessly to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also contains a state by state report on services requested and provided.
Domestic Violence Counts 2009: A 24-Hour Census of Domestic Violence Shelters and Services
"A one-day report, documenting the number of adults and children seeking domestic violence services in the U.S., the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also provides a state by state summary of services requested and provided. "
Domestic Violence Counts 2012: A 24-Hour Census of Domestic Violence Shelters and Services (pdf)
On September 12, 2012, 86% of identified local domestic violence programs in the United States and territories participated in the 2012 National Census of Domestic Violence Services. The figures in this resource represent the information reported by the 1,646 participating programs about services provided during the 24-hour survey period as well the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs face.
This 2008 report contains data documenting the number of individuals who seek services in a 24 hour period, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive tirelessly to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also contains a state by state report on services requested and provided.
Domestic Violence Information in Asian Languages (pdf)
A list of websites and weblinks containing domestic violence related resources in various Asian and Pacific Islander languages.
Domestic Violence Programs and Children's Records: Issues of Confidentiality and Release (pdf)
Preserving confidentiality for battered women and their children is central to ensuring their safety and allowing them to regain and retain control over their lives. The vital services of a shelter or domestic violence program mean nothing if anyone can access their records, putting battered women and their children in danger of being located. This paper endeavors to provide guidance to domestic violence programs regarding children's records and to serve as a starting place for internal policy development on this issue.
Eliminating Barriers to Services for Latina/o Survivors of Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
This is the position statement by Latino advocates to address barriers to services for Latina/o survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence
Eliminating Violence against Children (pdf)
"Jointly produced by UNICEF and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, this handbook describes measures parliamentarians can take to end violence against children: they can legislate, oversee government activities, allocate financial resources and, as leaders in their nations and communities, raise awareness of issues."
Employment and Domestic Violence
"This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, bibliographies, fact sheets, laws and court action, papers, regulations, reports and surveys relating to domestic violence and employment. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in employment issues related to ending violence against women. "
Employment Rights for Victims of Domestic Violence
This site contains a wealth of information for survivors, employers, and attorneys/advocates on employment rights for survivors of domestic violence. Included are resources, reference guides, guides to state laws, and model employment policy amongst many other helpful articles.
Employment Rights: Victims of Violence and Harassment (pdf)
Fact Sheet on employment rights for crime victims. Includes information on what information you need to supply your employer with, missing work, compensation, and unemployment.
Engaging Boys and Men in Gender Transformation: The Group Education Manual (pdf)
"This manual offers trainers an array of participatory experiential exercises to reach men (and their partners), exploring gender socialization and its impact on HIV prevention and care. Piloted in Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania, the manual is designed to assist trainers in developing curricula to work with men and boys on gender, HIV and AIDS issues."
The goal of this manual is to expand the definition of what is "enough" when it comes to domestic violence advocacy, so that all domestic violence services are as accessible as possible to all persons regardless to disability.
Evaluating Coordinated Community Responses to Domestic Violence
This VAWnet report presents a summary and analysis of research on coordinated community responses to domestic violence. It provides an overview of different mechanisms for coordination, examines the individual components of a coordinated community response, and addresses the overall response. The focus here will be on the justice system, advocacy and programs for abusers.
Evaluations of Advocacy Efforts to End Intimate Male Violence Against Women
This VAWnet paper describes the available research that has evaluated advocacy efforts to end intimate violence against women. The first section describes evaluation of Community Intervention Projects, while the second section presents a longitudinal and experimental evaluation of an advocacy intervention.
This report provides the most recent statistics on Washington state domestic violence fatalities; findings and recommendations from the reviewed cases of the past two years; and tips for utilizing the Fatality Review reports to mobilize change in your community.
This paper was originally delivered as a talk at the Violence Institute of New Jersey, June 21, 2000. This paper discusses the links between the abuse of women and the maltreatment of their children and the connection between domestic violence and poverty.
Facts & Stats: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Homes (pdf)
"Facts & Stats raises awareness about the experiences of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women; counters denial about the problem; emphasizes the need for socio-culturally effective prevention and intervention; and serves to guide future research and inform public policy."
Facts About Intimate Partner Strangulation (pdf)
A recent fact sheet created by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women as part of a statewide training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and advocates titled the Anatomy of Strangulation.
Family Team Conferences in Domestic Violence Cases: Guidelines for Practice (2nd Edition) (pdf)
These guidelines lay out steps to decide whether a family with a history of domestic violence is a good candidate for a Family Team Conference, and to prepare and conduct a conference that results in the best possible child welfare decision and safety for all. Case scenarios offer examples of different circumstances involving domestic violence and describe how an FTC, if planned and structured properly, can safely address case goals.
Family Violence Death Review Committee First Annual Report (pdf)
The Family Violence Death Review Committee's overarching goal is to contribute to the prevention of family violence and family violence deaths in New Zealand. The report outlines the objectives and achievements for the first year as well as goals and recommendations for the following year.
This paper explores factors contributing to successful collaborations between practitioners and researchers studying the impact of adult domestic violence and the effectiveness of services aimed at stopping it. The paper identifies potential challenges to research partnerships and, through interviews with the researchers and practitioners from four successful collaborations, highlights strategies for effectively navigating these challenges. It concludes by arguing that collaborative partnerships between science and practice communities strengthen the process of scientific inquiry and program development.
Form for Evaluating Police Response to Domestic Violence: For Use by Victims and Advocates
This resource was put together for use by domestic violence victims and their advocates. It was designed to assist you in evaluating the police response and the police report on your domestic violence call. The form should help you identify potential problems with the way the police responded so that you can act quickly to get these problems corrected. You can also use this form to provide feedback to your police department and to your community on how well police are responding to domestic violence cases. Also available in Spanish.
Fuerza Unida: A Manual For Engaging Communities (pdf)
"This attractive, user-friendly manual is a guide to understanding and working with Latino families experiencing domestic violence. Written primarily for government workers, nonprofit staff members, and other professionals working with Latino clients, it will benefit anyone seeking to relate effectively to our growing Latino communities."
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda (pdf)
"This report describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods."
Good practices in legislation on violence against women (pdf)
This report comes from an expert group meeting organized by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The purpose of the expert group meeting was to analyze different legislative approaches for addressing violence against women; assess lessons learned and identify good practices in regard to legal reforms on violence against women; and develop a model framework for legislation on violence against women. The outcome of the meeting is intended to assist States and other stakeholders in enhancing existing, and developing new, legislation on violence against women.
The guidelines describe model policies, practices, programs, and protocols that address the multiple needs of families and children affected by domestic violence and child maltreatment. They are based on recommendations contained in the Greenbook and on the thoughtful recommendations provided by public child welfare agency directors, domestic violence advocates, child advocates, and legal representatives.
Handbook for legislation on violence against women (Russian) (pdf)
"A Russian translation of the 2009 Handbook for legislation on violence against women, a report of the expert group meeting organized by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The group studied different legislative approaches to violence against women and developed this handbook for legislation based upon best practices and lessons learned. The handbook also includes commentary on legislation on violence against women in a number of countries."
A new report from the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) contains case descriptions of each attack that includes sexual assault. The report notes that because crimes committed against homeless persons often go unreported, the actual numbers of non-lethal attacks is likely much higher. Rapes and sexual assaults also tend to go unreported. The report recommends that state legislatures add homeless persons as a “protected class” to hate crime legislation, and encourages police trainings so law enforcement officers will better understand homelessness and how to prevent hate crimes.
It profiles promising programs that address domestic violence at community health care organizations. This document is designed to encourage primary health care providers to treat domestic violence among their client base and to engage providers, administrators, policymakers and others in a coordinated, community-wide response to domestic violence.
This 76-page resource is written for service providers assisting women who have survived woman abuse. Material addresses the needs of abused women as mothers, how abusive men parent, how abusive men affect family dynamics, effects of power and control tactics on mothers, the potential impact of woman abuse on children of different ages, and strategies used by young people to cope with violence in their homes. Guidance on parenting children who have lived with violence is also offered. Forty-four pages are designed as handouts for women, to be distributed as an adjunct to individual or group interventions on woman abuse or on parenting.
Helping Culturally Diverse Victims of Interpersonal Violence: Avoiding Stereotypes & Meetings Needs
"This forum discusses the need to take people's culture into account when providing them with services for interpersonal violence and avoiding the trap of treating people in a cookie-cutter way, based on stereotypes about their culture. This forum is hosted by Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD. Lisa is a Core Faculty Member in Union Institute & University's Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology and has dedicated almost 20 years to making the social service and mental health systems more responsive to culturally diverse people."
Helping Young Children Affected by Domestic Violence: The Role of Pediatric Health Settiings (pdf)
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses importance of pediatric health care and mental health care in addressing domestic violence.
Here's Where We Start (pdf)
This booklet informs men of the extent of sexual and domestic violence and provides them with concrete ideas on how they can become part of the solution for ending these crimes. It outlines steps men can take to change the social norms that support sexual and domestic assaults.
In this article, which is part of the Spring 2011 issue of Family Violence Prevention Fund's e-Journal: Family Violence Prevention and Health Practice, Dr. Megan Bair-Merritt provides an overview of what we know about the impact of home visiting programs on IPV. She begins by describing how intimate partner violence (IPV) affects children’s heath, and includes the latest research on home visitation interventions to address IPV. The article concludes with five recommendations for translating research into policy and best practices.
"This paper offers a research on DV and homelessness and trends in federal housing policy. A model for conducting a community assessment of local housing needs includes critical thinking questions on an organization’s capacity for housing advocacy."
Housing and Battered Women: A Case Study of Domestic Violence Programs in Iowa
The purpose of this paper is to increase the domestic violence advocacy communitys knowledge about housing issues, federal housing programs, and strategies to comprehensively address battered women's needs for housing.
Housing and Battered Women: Increasing Battered Women's Access to Federal Housing Programs
This paper encourages advocates to collaborate in an effort to support proposed federal housing regulations that begin to address some of the housing needs of battered women and to submit comments to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support those sections of the proposed regulations that could give battered women faster access to housing.
This paper provides domestic violence advocates with information and strategies to promote the use of this housing program as a resource to assist battered women moving from welfare to work.
This paper is a first-hand account of Missouri’s project to reduce rules in domestic violence shelters.
How to obtain U Interim Relief: A Brief Manual for Advocates Assisting Immigrant Victims of Crime (pdf)
This manual provides U Visa information for advocates who assist victims of crime, including domestic violence. The author outlines the definition, requirements, and application process for U Visa Interim relief and also offers information on obtaining permanent residency and derivative status for family members.
How to Write a Letter to the Judge for Victims of Rape, Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
Gives information that should help you write a more effective letter. Provides four examples of different kinds of letters you as a victim or victim advocate, may want to write to the judge in the criminal case. Also available in Spanish.
Immigration Relief for Crime Victims: The U Visa Manual (pdf)
"This manual aims to provide guidance to lawyers on issues that arise in the context of representing U visa applicants. It is designed for practitioners who are familiar with basic immigration terms and legal concepts."
Impact: Feature Issue on Violence Against Women with Developmental or Other Disabilities (pdf)
Examines how disability service providers, sexual and domestic violence programs, law enforcement, researchers, and women with disabilities can work together to respond to a major civil rights, quality of life, and health issue for women with disabilities - the presence of violence in their lives.
"This Trainer's Manual was developed to help health care providers and domestic violence advocates meet the challenge of training clinicians and other staff within the busy clinic or hospital setting. The Manual provides step-by-step instructions for teaching each section of the Resource Manual including the basics of domestic violence, clinical skills, legal issues, community resources, and role play scenarios. It also includes a special module on cultural diversity."
Information about Murder-Suicides (pdf)
A fact sheet created by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women as part of a statewide training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and advocates titled the Anatomy of Strangulation.
This report addresses API domestic violence intervention strategies within the U.S. as both accommodations and alternatives to mainstream domestic violence programs. They have adopted mainstream assumptions and approaches. And, they have crafted innovations based upon necessity and, in some cases, vision and intentionality. Emerging themes as discussed by the API women interviewed in this report highlight a number of areas which capture our attention for further exploration. While the findings of this report bring up broad, diverse and, at times, contradictory policies and practices among API programs, existing models, themes and interventions for the future programs are examined.
Innovative Strategies to Provide Housing for Battered Women
This paper highlights how eight domestic violence organizations are responding to the housing needs of battered women in their communities.
Integrating Anti-Poverty Work into Domestic Violence Advocacy: Iowa's Experience (pdf)
This document describes how the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) approached integrating economic advocacy into its work in order to better respond to the financial concerns of battered women and their families. Domestic violence programs in Iowa incorporated this work into their services by training advocates, developing new collaborative partnerships, and providing economic advocacy to battered women at three pilot sites. In addition, the ICADV secured funding to support its commitment to the institutionalization of economic advocacy in 2001.
Interpersonal Violence and Women With Disabilities: A Research Update
"This article provides an update on what researchers have learned during the past ten years about abuse and women with disabilities and offers some perspectives on the state of current research and its implications for future studies and advocacy efforts."
"This document describes intimate partner violence (IPV) in immigrant and refugee communities in the United States. The report contains four main sections: background information on the incidence of the problem among immigrant and refugee communities, an overview of the needs and challenges of immigrant and refugee IPV victims and service providers, recommendations for funders, service providers and policy-makers, and lastly a discussion of IPV research and evaluation issues to be addressed in immigrant and refugee communities."
Justice and Safety for All: Promoting Dialogue Between Public Defenders and Victim Advocates (pdf)
This document explores the relationship between the lawyers who defend individuals charged with domestic violence and the advocates who work for the rights and needs of victims of domestic violence. Because defenders and advocates often serve the same families, improving their relationship is part of providing just and safe resolutions in domestic violence cases. Filled with the voices of a handful of defenders and advocates talking about each other and their work, Justice and Safety for All is written to help other advocates and defenders begin their own conversations.
A film accompanies this publication. "In Their Own Words" is a 15-minute documentary that explores public defenders' and victim advocates' opinions about each other and their work on domestic violence cases. Copies of the film can be obtained from the National Associates Programs department of the Vera Institute of Justice, 212-334-1300.
Korean Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Korean translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Latina Cultural Context and Advocacy (pdf)
This document is designed for advocates working with Latina victims of domestic violence. It is intended to help inform advocates of the cultural contexts through which Latina victims see their world, in order to provide culturally informed services.
Lessons Learned From the Domestic Violence Community
"Effective Interventions in Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment Cases: Guidelines for Policy and Practice, known as the Greenbook, was published in 1999 by the Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges in collaboration with other experts. It provides guidelines for child welfare, domestic violence service providers and family courts to work together more effectively to serve families experiencing violence, and served as the foundation for the work of the Greenbook demonstration communities. The new video clips present interviews with domestic violence advocates in the Greenbook demonstration sites about lessons learned in their communities over the six years of the initiative."
Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence
"The Lifetime Spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
"This report provides extensive research of the mail-order bride industry in the United Kingdom. The industry is linked to the promotion of trafficking, prostitution, pornography and slavery. The report suggests that this industry not only exploits vulnerable groups of women but also reinforces racial and ethnic stereotypes. Recommendations are given on what the government can do to further protect women."
This study of the services and supports provided by domestic violence programs in four states was designed to help fill a gap in current knowledge about the range of services provided, and the needs and experience of survivors. The study results show that domestic violence programs address compelling needs that survivors cannot meet elsewhere.
An executive summary can be found here
Men in the Movement to End Violence Against Women: Training and Education
"This collection highlights several training tools and background information for use in promoting men's involvement in the movement to end violence against women. Also included are educational materials to support the teaching of non-violence to boys and young men. It is one in a series of three special collections focusing on the domestic violence prevention and education efforts of men. "
Mobilizing Communities to Prevent Domestic Violence
"This Applied Research document provides an overview of the research on community mobilization to prevent domestic violence, explores guiding concepts and frameworks, and discusses the challenges of implementing community mobilization strategies."
Mobilizing Religious Communities to Respond to Gender-based Violence and HIV: A Training Manual (pdf)
The first in a series of two manuals aimed at raising awareness and educating religious leaders and communities about gender-based violence. The training manual equips religious communities with tools to deepen their awareness and understanding of gender-based violence and its link to HIV and proposes faith-based activities on the subject.
Model Protocol for Advocates Working with Battered Women Involved in the Child Protection System
This protocol includes policy and practice recommendations for advocates who work with battered women involved in the child protection system.
Model Protocol on Service Animals in Domestic Violence Shelters (pdf)
"This document provides basic information about the use of service animals, the laws that apply to domestic violence shelters and service animals, and suggested policies and procedures for domestic violence shelters regarding service animals."
Model Protocol on Working with Friends and Family of Domestic Violence Victims (pdf)
This protocol includes examples of programs that can engage friends and families in dealing with ending domestic violence.
Model Protocols on Working with Battered Women and Their Teenage Boys in Shelter
This model protocol is useful for domestic violence shelters who do not set age limits for male children in shelter. It is equally useful for those who critically examine safety of all children and women in shelter.
Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Handling Cases of Forced Marriage (pdf)
"This report lists warning signs and appropriate actions for teachers and other school employees to take when they suspect a forced marriage of a child is imminent. The report also contains guidelines for police officers, health care professionals, and social workers, and provides general information on good practices when caring for victims of forced marriage."
This series was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part V describes the structure and purpose of child protection teams, provides guiding questions for domestic violence advocate members of such teams and highlights recommendations.
National Directory of Domestic Violence Service Programs Offering Services in Spanish
A comprehensive and well organized directory of domestic violence service providers throughout the nation who offer various services in Spanish.
Originally presented by Susan Schechter as a talk at the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence Statewide Training Institute, March 17, 1997, Harrisburg, PA and revised for the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence Administrative Development Conference, May 8, 1997, Ames, Iowa.
New Resources on Domestic Violence for Home Visitation Programs
As part of a special Office on Women's Health funded initiative on maternal child health and violence called Project Connect: A Coordinated Public Health Initiative to Respond to Domestic and Sexual Violence (see more about Project Connect in this issue), the Family Violence Prevention Fund is releasing a curriculum on domestic violence for home visitors.
New York City Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee Annual Report 2008 (pdf)
This report describes family-related homicides that occurred in New York City between 2002 and 2007. Includes key findings, risk factors, and action steps in response to findings.
New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Winter 2010 Bulletin (pdf)
In the latest issue of the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence's (OPDV) quarterly newsletter, topics include the use of technology in stalking, predicting reabuse and murders of intimate partners, and training events happening around the state.
Not a Minute More: Ending Violence Against Women (pdf)
This report highlights many of the achievements towards the empowerment of women and indicates what must be done to build on them. It provides examples of practices as well as efforts that did not meet the goals set out for them — and explores why. It looks at the challenges ahead and asks what the most fruitful next steps might be.
Online Learning Tools on Violence Against Women
"This collection provides a sampling of available Online Learning Tools with subject matter related to violence against women prevention and intervention. The resources listed here can be used for the purposes of staff development (by individuals), or as tools for trainers (in groups).Many of the tools in this list offer Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) to fulfill licensure requirements for professionals in certain disciplines."
Orders for Protection and Harassment Orders (pdf)
Factsheet on Orders for Protection and Harassment Orders in Minnesota including links and information on how to get these orders.
Overcoming Domestic Violence: A Global Challenge (pdf)
"The project is part of the World Council of Churches' decade on Overcoming Violence. The report contains seven chapters, beginning with the author’s recommendations from the project. The rest of the chapters place domestic violence within an international human rights framework, discuss domestic violence’s roots, its effects on development, relevant international law milestones, practical strategies culled from project experiences around the world, and the importance of monitoring development projects to ensure women’s full participation."
Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation: Research Reviews (pdf)
This VAWnet document provides a historical and research overview of Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation, identifies strategic issues for advocates working with victims, and offers guidelines to improve courts’ treatment of these issues.
Passport to Safety: Some Concluding Remarks
Under VAWA, gender-motivated violence is a form of sex discrimination and as such requires civil rights protection. In this concluding chapter the volume editors revisit salient issues and suggest strategies for multiagency coordination and cooperation.
Police Domestic Violence: A Handbook for Victims
This handbook highlights some of the most significant advantages and disadvantages of the personal, financial, and legal options that victims of law enforcement perpetrators must consider.
"This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and surveys. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in poverty and how it relates to ending violence against women."
A Prevention Institute memo highlighting opportunities for improving safety and well-being in our nation’s urban areas while saving money and stimulating the economy.
Problem-Oriented Guides for Police - Domestic Violence (pdf)
Domestic disputes are some of the most common calls for police service. This guide discusses domestic disputes that involve violence, as well as the measures that can be used to reduce them. This is an essential tool for law enforcement to help analyze and respond to their local problem.
Programming to Address Violence against Women (pdf)
"This is the second volume in a series that focuses on prevention and response tools for violence against women. The publication features eight case studies that highlight initiatives that have proven successful in combating violence against women: Algeria, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The UNFPA hopes to support current efforts in the eight case study countries and encourage other countries to take steps toward ending violence against women."
Progress of the World's Women 2000
UNIFEM's first issue in the biennial investigation of progress made towards a world where women live free from violence, poverty and inequality. Topics covered include women's economic security and rights, engendering governance and leadership and promoting women's human rights.
This report examines innovative partnership designed to assist the employment needs of immigrant women who are survivors of domestic violence.
Punjabi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Punjabi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Raising Our Voices: Queer Asian Women's Response to Relationship Violence
This report is based on information derived from both the local and national groups. For purposes of the report all are referred to as focus groups. The goal of this report is to encourage all domestic violence programs to provide services to not only the queer Asian women's community, but to all under-served communities.
Realizing the Promise of Home Visitation: Addressing Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment (pdf)
"This guide is intended to help policy makers and advocates build a strong national policy framework to maximize the effectiveness and reach of early childhood home visiting programs. It is intended to ensure that federal home visiting policies directly address: the needs of mothers and children who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing domestic violence, the link between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect, and the impact of domestic violence on the health and well-being of children and families."
Reflections from the Field: Considerations for Domestic Violence Specialists (pdf)
"Domestic violence and child protection professionals from multiple states came together to discuss the complexity of systems-change work and the continued need for a social justice framework to guide these efforts. This document is a compilation of their stories and insights as people who have worked as or supported domestic violence specialists dedicated to helping families experiencing the co-occurrence of domestic violence and child maltreatment."
Reflections from the Field: Considerations for Domestic Violence Specialists (pdf)
The purpose of this document is to share discussions that were had at a "Specialized Positions Meeting". The conversations had at this meeting focused on advances and insights based on the collective experience of specialists; framing key questions for policy makers and others interested in supporting, funding, and implementing specialist positions; and supporting those working as specialists by reaffirming the importance and difficulty of their role and proposing foundational questions for exploration to shape their role and responsibilities to guide the next generation of their work.
This Attorney’s Handbook provides guidance to attorneys who are representing survivors of domestic violence who are experiencing trauma symptoms and/or mental health challenges. The handbook features strategies that aim to keep trauma and other mental health challenges from becoming the central focus or even a consideration in the survivor’s case, and guidance for limiting it when mental health evidence is introduced by the opposing party.
Resource Guide for Advocates & Attorneys on Interpretation Services for Domestic Violence Victims (pdf)
This document provides guidelines from the Interpretation Technical Assistance and Resource Center that focus on court interpretation for domestic and sexual violence victims with limited English proficiency. These guidelines inform how advocacy, interpretation, and language access can be integrated.
The focus of this joint policy report is on the crimes of hate violence and intimate partner violence against LGBTQ people, because these are the crimes that are most reported to NCVAP programs. Based on a 2009 survey of victim assistance providers and anti-violence programs for LGBTQ victims, this report confirms that gaps in services for LGBTQ victims of violence exist and shows the need for culturally competent service provision through LGBTQ and mainstream service providers’ collaboration. These gaps in services compromise the safety of LGBTQ individuals, families, and communities. The report concludes with recommended steps to improve service provision and accessibility.
Ruling Offers a New Protection to Victims of Assault in Minnesota (USA)
The Minnesota Supreme Court published a ruling that an individual may now be charged with the serious crime of burglary if they enter their former partner's home to commit a crime, even if they have an ownership interest in the home. This ruling provides a new type of protection for victims who do not have an active order for protection against former partners.
A blog developed by David Mandel & Associates, LLC in which they will be exploring the ideas underpinning the Safe and Together model. The model provides a practical and concrete approach to improving the response of child welfare to the risk and safety concerns presented by batterers. They will be providing practical tips and ideas for policy and practice. All are welcome to participate in the discussion.
Safety Plan for a Friend, Relative, or Co-Worker Who Is Being Abused by an Intimate Partner (pdf)
This safety plan helps those who wish to provide support to someone in a domestic violence situation with the tools to do so in an effective way. Provides safety planning advice and resources.
Safety Planning With Teens (pdf)
An issue brief created by Break the Cycle for those working with teens on safety planning issues.
Security Begins at Home (pdf)
The Kosova Women’s Network released the country’s first study on domestic violence, called Security Begins at Home. The report highlights key points such as: what the citizens of Kosovo perceive as domestic violence, the forms and consequences of domestic violence, citizens' response to ending it, and the legal and institutional gaps in addressing it.
Sexual Violence against Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Women (pdf)
This document provides guidelines for advocates on various points of intersection of domestic and sexual violence in the API communities.
Silence is Violence: End the Abuse of Women in Afghanistan (pdf)
A new United Nations (UN) report on women in Afghanistan that focuses on the growing trend of violence and threats against women in public life and rape/sexual violence. The report concludes that these forms of violence are a huge occurrence in the everyday lives of Afghan women and the government has a crucial role in helping to eradicate these harmful practices towards women.
Silent Realities: Supporting Young Children and Their Families Who Experience Violence (pdf)
This guide describes the effects of trauma on young children and suggests strategies for helping victims and witnesses of community and domestic violence to heal. Based on concepts presented by experts attending an institute held during a National Head Start Association training conference in April 2000, the discussion emphasizes the importance of encouraging children and adults to express their fears.
Social Worker's Practice Guide to Domestic Violence (pdf)
A guide created by the Department of Social and Health Services, for social workers working with domestic violence issues in the state of Washington. Includes information on how social workers should work with victims and perpetrators, child assessment of exposure to violence, as well as legal and policy issues in the state.
"These Standards are presented as aspirational guidelines for the operation of legal service providers, pro bono legal service providers, and individual lawyers representing victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking in civil protection order cases."
This toolkit is intended to assist mental health providers in developing domestic violence-informed policies for responding to subpoenas and other demands for client records.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released a new toolkit which is designed to help continue the survival of Grassroots Community-Based organizations concerned about continuing critical services for people affected by substance abuse and mental health disorders.
Tagalog Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Tagalog translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Technology and Teen Dating Violence (pdf)
This issue brief explains the ways technology can be used as tools of abuse. It offers tips to providers working on safety planning with teens experiencing abuse.
Technology Safety & Advocacy Special Collection
This special collection includes a categorized and annotated listing of selected articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and other materials regarding the use of technology as it impacts and intersects with violence against women and children. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in the safe use of technology.
This report conceptualizes the Community Engagement Continuum in order to categorize a range of community based approaches in the anti-violence movement and to clarify the goals of engagement. The four points on the continuum--community outreach and education, community mobilization, community organizing, and community accountability--are defined by the level to which the strategies used lead to increases in the community's capacity to transform relations of power.
The Crossing Borders Self-Assessment Guide (pdf)
"A tool kit for doing the "inside work" within programs to strengthen and expand services for immigrant survivors of domestic violence."
The Economic Impacts of Domestic Violence: A Blueprint for Action (pdf)
"This report contains selected findings and recommendations resulting from a series of hearings held in MA in June 2001. The hearings involved more than 125 people, with 40% of these identifying as survivors of domestic violence."
This report documents the findings from the Phase II evaluation of the coordinated response to domestic violence in Omaha and Douglas County.
The Greenbook Initiative Final Evaluation Report (pdf)
"The Greenbook national evaluation results are presented in three reports. The Greenbook Demonstration Initiative: Process Evaluation Report: Phase 1 focused on the planning and goal setting phase of the Greenbook initiative in the sites. This final evaluation report assesses the extent to which the Greenbook implementation activities facilitated cross-system and within system change and practice in the child welfare agencies, dependency courts, and domestic violence service providers."
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Military Response to Victims of Domestic Violence: Tools for Civilian Advocates (pdf)
This handbook is designed for civilian advocates working with military victims of domestic violence—both active duty victims and partners of active duty service members—to help advocates respond to the uniquely challenging needs of this population of survivors.
The New Welfare Law: Implications for Battered Women
This paper is the first in a series of three papers that aim to provide relevant and practical information about the new "Welfare Law" and its effects on battered women and their children to domestic violence advocates and others working in the field.
The State of the World's Children 2009 Report
"The State of the World's Children 2009 examines critical issues in maternal and newborn health, underscoring the need to establish a comprehensive continuum of care for mothers, newborns and children. The report outlines the latest paradigms in health programming and policies for mothers and newborns, and explores policies, programmes and partnerships aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health. Africa and Asia are a key focus for this report, which complements the previous year's issue on child survival."
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants (pdf)
Manual on the preparation, filing and processing of applications pursuant to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Also includes detailed information on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for Children Under Juvenile Court Jurisdiction, and U and T Non-Immigrant Visas (Victims of Crime and Trafficking). A good resource for advocates and legal professionals working with these victims.
This document takes some time to download, especially with a slow connection.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 1-100 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 101-200 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 201-300 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 301-380 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
This is a good introduction to advocacy concepts used when working with victims of intimate violence, rape and child abuse. It is designed for use both as a workshop outline and as a guide for direct interactions with individual clients.
Towards a Common European Framework to Monitor Progress in Combating Violence Against Women (pdf)
"Contains proposals for policies and indicators that could form the basis for a tool to monitor State progress in combating violence against women, as well as case studies of European initiatives that illustrate good practices."
Trafficking: Considerations and Recommendations for Battered Women's Advocates (pdf)
Offers domestic violence advocates some considerations and recommendations for working with victims of trafficking. After a brief overview of statistics and issue analysis, the document provides considerations and recommendations for advocates in seven key areas: (1) Arrest, (2) Custody and Release, (3) Legal representation and the investigation process, (4) Endangerment and confidentiality, (5) Shelter Services, (6) Complex traumas and oppressions, and (7) Medical records and care.
Transforming the National AIDS Response: Advancing Women’s Leadership and Participation (pdf)
"The second in a series of resource guides dedicated to highlighting strategies for incorporating gender equality and women’s rights into national HIV and AIDS responses. This publication discusses various approaches for advancing women’s leadership and meaningful participation of HIV-positive women in the AIDS response."
This paper describes results of phone interviews with twelve domestic violence transitional housing programs across the country. Key considerations for new and emerging programs are offered. Program profiles are also provided.
Trauma Informed Care Resources for Children Exposed to Violence
Exposure to violence at home, in the form of child abuse and neglect, or in the community, whether at school or in the neighborhood, can affect young people in profound ways. This resource provides information on children's exposure to violence for parents and other caregivers, as well as for teachers and other agencies and staff who may work with these youth. Information includes warning signs of exposure to violence and what you can do to intervene.
Trauma-Informed Domestic Violence Services, 3-part series
The term "trauma-informed" is used to describe organizations and practices that incorporate an understanding of the pervasiveness and impact of trauma and that are designed to reduce retraumatization, support healing and resiliency, and address the root causes of abuse and violence. The resources compiled in this new 3-part Special Collection Series reflect this integrated perspective.
Part 1: Understanding the Framework and Approach
Part 2: Building Program Capacity
Part 3: Developing Collaborations and Increasing Access
UN study on Violence Against Children
"A press release on a new effort to provide a detailed global picture of the nature, extent and causes of violence against children, and propose clear recommendations for action to prevent and reduce such violence. The study focuses on violence against children in five settings: the home and family, schools and educational settings, other institutional settings (orphanages, children in conflict with the law), the community and on the streets, and work situations. "
UNIFEM Annual Report 2004/2005 (pdf)
The Annual Report documents UNIFEM's work to foster women's empowerment and gender equality around the world. It highlights some of the organization's initiatives during the year 2004–2005, among which were initiatives in promoting women's political participation and leadership in post-conflict situations, easing the burden of HIV/AIDS on women, promoting women's right to own land, and supporting the creation and implementation of gender-responsive budgets.
UNiTE to End Violence against Women: The Framework for Action (pdf)
"The overall objective is raising public awareness and increasing political will and resources for preventing and responding to all forms of violence against women and girls – in all parts of the world. The Framework for Action provides an overall “umbrella” for the efforts to be undertaken at global, regional, national and local levels. It identifies five key outcomes as benchmarks for the Campaign, to be achieved in all countries by 2015, and outlines a UN Programme of Activities and expected Outputs."
VAWnet Mini-Special Collection: Supporting the Women of Haiti
"This collection includes initiatives supporting relief efforts in Haiti, especially those focused on delivering aid to women and responding to those at higher risk for sexual and/or domestic violence."
This forum addresses the nature and affects of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue and provides methods to identify and treat them. Hosted by expert Debby Tucker, Executive Director for the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence.
Violence Against Native Women: A Guide for Practitioner Action (pdf)
This paper is intended to serve as a guide to practitioners who represent Native women who are the victims of domestic and sexual violence. It is dedicated to the brave Native women whose faces are behind the horrifying statistics. Includes practice tips for law enforcement, tribal leaders, judges, advocates, attorneys, prosecutors, and probation/parole officers.
Violence Against Women and Girls: A Compendium of Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators (pdf)
"This compendium offers a set of monitoring and evaluation indicators for program managers, organizations, and policy makers working to address violence against women and girls at individual, community, district and national levels in developing countries."
Violence Against Women: Synthesis of Research for Advocacy Organizations (pdf)
This report synthesizes empirical research in the areas of domestic violence and sexual assault for advocacy organizations. It is organized into three sections; each also addresses gaps in research. The first section addresses domestic violence and summarizes the empirical research related to batterers and victims. The second section considers rape and sexual assault, examining the effectiveness of rape law reforms, treatment of offenders, and services to victims. The third section briefly examines emerging issues related to violence against women: stalking, violence against immigrant women, domestic violence in lesbian relationships, and the relationship between domestic violence and welfare.
Violence in the EU Examined (pdf)
"A report published by the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia on good practices and general recommendations for domestic violence initiatives in the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The project includes findings on sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, honor crimes, exploitation, trafficking, and other issues affecting women and children. A summary of the report’s general recommendations is also available."
Violence in the Lives of Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
"This Special Collection offers information regarding the experiences and needs of individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing and victims/survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence. The collection seeks to increase knowledge and understanding of deaf culture, provide resources to assist professionals working directly with deaf individuals, and highlight best practices."
Welfare and Domestic Violence Against Women: Lessons from Research
This VAWnet paper provides a succinct summary of welfare research, with a focus on the aspects that have implications for advocates and others who work with women who receive TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families- the program established under PRWORA).
This page links you to scripts, slides, and handouts from a web conference that, "featuring one of the nation's leading experts on violence against women and one of its top pollsters -- explored the latest research into men's views on domestic violence and sexual assault. Do men think this violence is common? Do they worry about the safety of women they know? What exactly are they willing to do to help stop violence? What messages resonate most with men? How can advocates engage men more effectively in prevention? In addition to reviewing the results of a new poll, experts discussed effective strategies for engaging men."
When Battered Women Stay... Advocacy Beyond Leaving
"This paper raises the key issues, questions, and dilemmas regarding advocacy with battered women who stay in their relationships. It discusses the limitations of safety strategies for leaving, and frames the issues central to the expansion of advocacy beyond leaving, including: 1) safety planning and advocacy with victims who stay; 2) ending violent and controlling behavior; and 3) knowing what children need to be OK."
Why Does Abuse Happen in Later Life?
"This forum explores the issue of elder abuse and is hosted by Diana Christen, Executive Director of the Family Life Center, a Certified Domestic/Sexual Violence Center and Emergency Shelter in Bunnell, Florida. Diana has specialized in the prevention of domestic/sexual violence for over 10 years."
/*Not available 7/17/12 "This report, the product of a 2009 survey of victim assistance providers and LGBTQ anti-violence programs throughout the United States, describes widespread gaps in victim services for LGBTQ victims of crime and recommends steps to improve both the services and their accessibility."
With an End in Sight (pdf)
"With an End in Sight" narrates inspiring stories showing how groups of people are moving ahead and creating new ideas to combat violence against women. It provides knowledge, insight and hope of how violence against women can be eliminated with combined effort, compelling advocacy, and wide-reaching education.
Witnessing Domestic Violence: The Effect on Children
The author discusses the conequences of child exposure to domestic violence across various ages, as well as prevention and screening techniques. Community advocacy is emphasized.
Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrow’s Agenda (pdf)
"This report reviews evidence on the health issues that particularly affect girls and women throughout their life course. This report uses currently available data to draw attention to the consequences and costs of failing to address health issues at appropriate points in their lives."
Yaari Dosti: Young Men Redefine Masculinity (pdf)
"This training manual is a tool for those aiming to promote gender equity and address masculinity as a strategy for the prevention of HIV infection. The Manual is based on operations research that was undertaken in Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh to develop educational activities targeted to young men."
Animal/Pet cruelty
Animal Abuse and Domestic Violence
This document on Animal Abuse and Domestic Violence pulls information from many resources for which the links are provided. Topics include Risk Factors, The Relationship between Animal and Interpersonal Abuse, Effects of Animal Abuse on Victims of Abuse, Laws governing animal abuse and domestic violence,and Advocacy information.
Animal Cruelty/Human Violence (pdf)
"This fact sheet offers statistics from several research studies investigating the connection between animal cruelty and human violence, domestic violence, and child abuse."
In this article Phil Arkow argues that it is important to use an ecological systems approach to better understand children’s interactions with animals. Understanding the role and impact of animals in the ecology of violent childhoods can help service providers to successfully address issues related to exposure to violence.
Battered Women's Reports of Their Partner's and Children's Cruelty to Animals (pdf)
"This research study describes how abuse of pets is a method employed by batterers to control their partners, contributes to the impact on children exposed to violence, and may also be related to batterers' lethality."
Expanding Domestic Violence Protective Orders to Include Companion Animals
This article makes clear the link between animal abuse and intimate partner violence and explains why it is important to include animals in safety planning, orders of protection, and shelter programs.
Facts About Animal Abuse & Domestic Violence
Fact sheet of information regarding the links between animal abuse and domestic violence compiled by the AHA and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Final Report on the project entitled: Animal Welfare and Domestic Violence (pdf)
"This study assesses animal maltreatment in samples of women seeking safety at shelters and community samples of women. Women in shelter were much more likely (54%) to report partners' hurting or killing of their pets than women not in shelter (3.5%)."
Guidance for Veterinarians to Respond to Suspected Cruelty, Abuse and Neglect (pdf)
This document was created to help veterinarians who see cases of suspected animal abuse and neglect in practice to respond effectively. It is intended to aid veterinarians in establishing individual, practice-specific policies and procedures that best serve the needs of the animal and the client. Topics covered include documentation, decision making, model policies, client questionnaires, legal reporting requirements, liability and confidentiality, and sources of training and resources.
Pets and Women's Shelters: Start-Up Guide (pdf)
Recognizing both the urgent need to protect domestic violence victims from further abuse and the comfort that pets provide people, especially in times of stress and trauma, American Humane is leading a national program to guide domestic and family violence emergency housing shelters toward permitting residents to bring their pets with them. This Startup Guide provides simple, how-to methods for starting a PAWS Program at a domestic violence shelter.
Pets in Protective Orders- Summary by State (pdf)
This document shows current pet protection laws by state as well as pending legislation as of 6/11.
Safe Havens for Pets: Guidelines for Programs Sheltering Pets for Women who are Battered (pdf)
This paper is the consolidation of interviews with professionals from 21 domestic violence and 20 animal welfare agencies beginning to operate or already operating programs sheltering pets for women who are battered. Information provided covers the evolution and operation of their programs, the policies and procedures they have established, challenges and obstacles they have confronted, and some of their successes and failures.
Safety Planning for Pets (pdf)
This document is a collection of materials compiled by the National Link Coalition to help abuse victims include the welfare of their animals when making their plans to protect themselves and their family.
Batterer intervention
A Review of Standards for Batterer Intervention Programs
This document reports on the current status of standards for batterer intervention programs in each U.S. state, describes the common elements of standards, and explores the positive and negative aspects of standards. It includes a chart outlining the status of standards in each state.
Assessing Risk To Children From Batterers (pdf)
This document provides an overview of potential sources of physical and psychological injury to children from contact with batterers, details recommendations for evaluating the risk to children and provides assessment guidelines that professionals can apply in cases where a batterer admits to a history of abusiveness by asserting that he has changed. Information is also provided regarding the necessary context for children's recovery from exposure to battering behavior.
Assessment and evaluation of men who batter women
"Reviews research on characteristics of batterers and encourages ethnically and culturally sensitive approaches to assessment that are to plan effective interventions. Includes considerations regarding assessments for substance abuse, homicide, and more."
Batterer Accountability: Responding to Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence
"This paper outlines the philosophical basis of best practice that is rooted in batterer accountability - and it outlines the consequences to children when programs are not so rooted. The paper goes on to talk about all the things advocates can do to push system change that fully integrates batterer accountability, provides excellent advocacy to victims, supports CPS collaborators and looks at alternative models for dependencies and termination of parent rights."
Batterer Intervention Program Enrollment and Completion Among Immigrant Men in Massachusetts (pdf)
"This study describes immigrant clients enrolled in Massachusetts batterer intervention (BI) programs from 2002 to 2004. The study seeks to describe the immigrant men enrolled in Massachusetts BI programs, investigate whether immigrants were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were nonimmigrants, and investigate whether immigrants in non-English, culturally specific groups were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were immigrants in mainstream groups."
Batterer Intervention Programs: Where Do We Go From Here? (pdf)
This report analyzes the possibility that previous batterer intervention program evaluations may be methodologically flawed and/or that something may be wrong with the programs themselves.
Batterer Intervention State Standards
This is an extensive directory of state and county standards for batterer intervention and domestic violence education.
Batterer Intervention: Program Approaches and Criminal Justice Strategies (pdf)
This February 1998 report strives to improve the working relationship and mutual understanding between criminal justice personnel and batterer program staff. A secondary goal is to expand the debate about innovative batterer intervention approaches to include criminal justice personnel who work with batterers daily and criminal justice policymakers who are concerned with domestic violence. Published by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs at the National Institute of Justice.
Batterer Intervention: Doing the Work and Measuring the Progress (pdf)
This report is the work of a gathering of practitioners, researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders to discuss challenging issues related to batterer intervention. It describes the experts roundtable, summarizes the key themes that emerged from the discussions, and recommends next steps for the field of batterer intervention.
Batterer Intervention: Where Do We Go From Here? - Workshop Notes
This article documents the main conversations held at the Batterer Intervention Workshop. Participants discussed several areas that need attention: the definition of a successful outcome, researcher-practitioner partnerships, determining which evaluation designs are most effective under which circumstances, and recruitment and attrition issues. The Workshop was held January 17, 2002.
Many men who have been violent have contact with their children. Positive involvement by a father figure is important to children’s development. Yet, until now, few tools have been available to help fathers who have perpetrated family violence relate to their children in positive ways.
Breaking the Cycle, Fathering After Violence: Curriculum Guidelines and Tools for Batterer Intervention Programs offers information, exercises and more to help batterer intervention programs begin these essential conversations.
California Batterer Intervention Systems Study (pdf)
This study on batterer intervention programs in the state of California encompasses 5 counties, 53 batterer intervention programs that provide client data, and over 1,000 men enrolled in those programs. The study found that the individual characteristics of the offenders, and not the program they were enrolled in nor the features of the specific court they were sentenced in, were the strongest predictors of outcomes.
Characteristics of Batterers in A Multi-Site Evaluation of Batterer Intervention Systems
Includes: A summary of findings for a 12-month follow-up; A summary of findings for a 15-month follow-up; and List of Papers and Staff
Community Corrections Response To Domestic Violence: Guidelines For Practice (pdf)
"This document provides a series of guidelines for community corrections professionals that support a proactive community supervision approach for domestic violence cases. It pulls together in one place for community corrections professionals and allied justice system and community-based services the conceptual information and practical tools to develop or enhance effective programs."
Controversies and Recent Studies of Batterer Intervention Program Effectiveness
This VAWnet document examines the effectiveness of batterer intervention programs and particularly addresses how they work, for whom do they work best, and which elements of the program are most important.
Danger Zone: Battered Mothers and Their Families in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper outlines research conducted at a supervised visitation center specifically for serving families where domestic violence was the primary reason for referral. The authors have classified their experiences based on these main subjects: battered women in supervised visitation, how battering continues during supervised visitation, how the rules of the supervised visitation center evolved during the first 18 months of implementation, the importance of well-trained visit monitors, and the need to include supervised visitation centers within a larger context of coordinated community responses to domestic violence."
Discharge Criteria for Batterer Programs
Clinical judgement typically plays a central role in the discharge of the patients from alcohol and mental health treatment. Batterer programs instead rely almost exclusively on program attendance to determine discharge. This paper uses a 10-item set of criteria to rate participants in a 13-week court mandated batterer program. It concludes with a discussion of methodological limitations, practical issues, and alternative applications of discharge criteria.
Do Batterer Program Length or Approach Affect Completion or Re-Arrest Rates? (pdf)
This study compared outcomes between defendants sentenced to two batterer programs in Brooklyn, New York. A literature review on batterer programs is presented followed by the research methodology. The findings suggest that neither underlying program philosophy nor program length alone predict either program completion or future violence.
This article examines the complexities of the question: "Do batterer's programs work?" It begins by exploring the word "works". It then scrutinizes published outcome data on the issue through various lenses of public debate on treatment effectiveness. It concludes with suggested policy and program directions for future interventions.
Domestic Violence and Probation
This article offers specialized management techniques that probation officers can use to monitor batterers and intervene in domestic violence cases more effectively. The author offers suggestions on how to manage offenders on probation, respond to common excuses, and handle those offenders least likely to be held accountable.
Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programs: What Counts as Success? (pdf)
This research briefing is an exploration of what we mean by "success" when speaking about Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programs. Women, men, practitioners and funders all contributed to this stage of the work.
Domestic Violence Perpetrators: Working with the Cause of the Problem
Respect has put together this document to make the case for increasing the work done with domestic violence perpetrators.
This 133 page publication addresses a number of issues relevant to family violence within the home and the community and specifically focuses on interventions. It is intended to offer communities a guiding framework to develop interventions and measure progress as they seek to improve their responses to families experiencing domestic violence and child maltreatment.
Emerging issues in domestic/family violence research (pdf)
"This paper presents an overview of the key emerging issues in Australian domestic and family violence research in the context of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities; the elderly; those with disabilities; people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Indigenous communities; homelessness; the impact on children; and issues around perpetrator programs."
Ending Gender-Based Violence: A call for global action to involve men (pdf)
In this report, seven masculinity researchers write about masculinity in different parts of the world and about how masculinity is often linked to violence. These acts of violence are committed not only against women and children, but also against other men. The writers suggest a number of ways in which men can be involved in working to combat men’s violence.
Engendering Change: Transforming Gender Roles in Asian & Pacific Islander Communities (pdf)
The introduction begins by providing a description of the societal context in which domestic violence occurs, and leads into a discussion about two batterer intervention programs for Asian men, and concludes with practice implications.
Focus Groups of African-American Men: Perspectives on Addressing Domestic Violence
This study is the first step toward a larger, multi-site project that would obtain valuable information about how to help African-American men prevent or eliminate violence in relationships. The purpose of this paper is to identify realistic approaches by which African-American men can confront friends, neighbors, relatives, co-workers or strangers, who are African-American men who batter. What is unique about this study is that African-American men are the key informants.
Geraldton Family and Domestic Violence Project: A Reducing Aboriginal Imprisonment Strategy (pdf)
The departments of Corrective Services and the Attorney General are working in partnership with the Geraldton Aboriginal community to reduce the incidence of family and domestic violence in the region. The focus of the Geraldton project has been to address the over-representation of Aboriginal people in prison and the high number of people imprisoned as the result of family and domestic violence related offences. This resource provides information on the project.
Groupwork with Men Who Batter: What the Research Literature Indicates (pdf)
This paper focuses on research on small group treatment programs for men who batter. There is controversy over which, if any, programs are the most effective. This paper first provides a brief overview of the history and current practice of groupwork with men who batter, and then focuses on key findings from the published research on batterer group programs.
Guidelines for Men Who Batter Programs
Developed by the People Who Work With People Who Batter, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1997. It is intended that these guidelines be a guide for new and existing programs toward the development and delivery of services to men involved in heterosexual relationships who have acted abusively toward a partner or spouse.
This report informs policy makers and employers about the way Vermont workplaces are affected
by domestic violence. It provides important information to help employers make decisions about
policy and procedural responses to employees involved in domestic violence.
The survey instrument used collected data on men’s use of workplace resources to perpetrate
violence against an intimate partner and the impact of abuse on their own and their partner’s workplace. The survey also collected data on workplace intervention and prevention policies, and procedures and strategies that would prevent men from abusing partners from and in the workplace.
Intervention for Men Who Batter: A Review of Research
This chapter appears in the book Understanding partner violence: Prevalence, causes, consequences and solutions, edited by S. Stith and M. Straus (1995). Minneapolis, MN: National Council on Family Relations.
Intervention Strategies with Child Maltreating Men (pdf)
This document outlines the importance of healthy parenting following child maltreatment and adds to our understanding of adult male maltreatment intervention by offering some important insights and actionable recommendations.
Limits and Risks of Programs for Wife Batterers
This extensive and multi-part 1995 paper was assembled by the Montreal Men Against Sexism. Due to it's size (approx. 100 pages total), the Microsoft Word version will take some time to download.
Operationalizing Accountability: The Domains and Bases of Accountability (pdf)
In this article, the authors focus on batterer accountability from a personal accountability standpoint. They created a working definition of accountability that was both theoretically sound and user friendly for participants. The authors concluded that learning how to be accountable in the domains of their daily life is important in facilitating their understanding of accountability in ways that will be useful to them in the future.
Parenting Interventions for Men Who Batter (pdf)
This Applied Research paper provides an overview of the research on the commonalities and controversies surrounding parenting interventions programs for men who batter with an emphasis on improving outcomes for women and child survivors of domestic violence.
Practical Considerations for Parenting Interventions for Men who Batter (pdf)
This Applied Research paper from VAWnet.org provides an overview of the practical considerations related to parenting interventions programs for men who batter. These include questions about program length and organization, referral routes, specific program content, and nature of collaboration between agencies.
Predictors of Program Outcome and Recidivism at the Bronx Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Court (pdf)
In this study, the authors examine cases in the Bronx for possible correlates of program mandate non-completion and recidivism. A literature review of domestic violence prevention and intervention programs is presented followed by the research study and outcomes.
Promising Practices with Men Who Batter (pdf)
In this report to the King County Domestic Violence Council, the author provides a literature review of promising practices with men who batter, ranging from historical to current approaches. Key research findings on batterer intervention programs(BIP) are provided, including current concerns with BIPs. Finally, current gaps in services are identified and recommendations are given.
Recruitment and Retention in Intimate Partner Violence Research (pdf)
This report focuses on methods of recruitment and retention in intimate partner violence research with particular attention to attrition in batterer treatment programs and retention in longitudinal studies. Case studies highlighting recruitment and retention methods in five different intimate partner violence research programs are described by their respective investigators. A set of guidelines is offered for recruitment and retention in intimate partner violence research, which is intended to help guide the field by offering suggestions that can lead to successful recruitment and retention efforts in a way that maintains the safety of participants and researchers alike.
Restraining Order Violators, Corrective Programming and Recidivism (pdf)
Produced by the Massachusetts Trial Court - Office of the Commissioner of Probation in 2004. This document is the summarized results of a study regarding the ongoings of a domestic violence perpetrator/offender in the criminal courts. Highlights include, the relationship between victime and offender, batterer intervention programs, as well as other forms of treatment/management.
A blog developed by David Mandel & Associates, LLC in which they will be exploring the ideas underpinning the Safe and Together model. The model provides a practical and concrete approach to improving the response of child welfare to the risk and safety concerns presented by batterers. They will be providing practical tips and ideas for policy and practice. All are welcome to participate in the discussion.
Standards For Batterers Intervention Programs
Batterer Intervention Program in the Central Indiana Program, Certified by the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence. A site dedicated to helping persons seek information, counseling and other resources which aim to intervene in both male and female batterers lives.
Substance Abuse and Woman Abuse by Male Partners
This piece explores the overlap between substance abuse and battering. The author examines various perspectives regarding the relationship between substance abuse and violence, explores research on substance abuse by batterers, and discusses substance abuse by battered women. Includes recommendations for improving interventions with batterers who also abuse substances.
Summary of an evaluation of the court review process for men referred to batterer counseling from the Domestic Violence Court in Pittsburgh.
Toward Evidence-Based Practice with Domestic Violence Perpetrators
This review examines the policy and practice of interventions with male perpetrators of domestic violence in light of the widely accepted principles of evidence-based practice. Thus far, these policies and practices have enjoyed immunity from the external, empirical accountability available through implementing the findings from evaluations research and other empirical practice analyses. This immunity is supported by a policy framework where, for example, the state certifying agencies may presumptively forbid methods of intervention, with no obligation to empirically assess their efficacy or safety, that contradict the approved model. Based on the review of findings from both explanatory research and interventions research, evidence-based recommendations for policy and program change are proposed. 2008.
The intent of this research study is to determine the predictive validity of two domestic abuse risk assessment tools currently used by the DOCCR Domestic Violence Unit, the Domestic Violence Screening Instrument (DVSI) and the Spousal Abuse Risk Assessment (SARA) Guide. The question to be answered is whether these assessment tools can accurately classify offenders as high or low risk for future domestic violence.
The PIVOT Project of Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse in Houston is participating in a multi-site battering intervention program evaluation being conducted by Edward Gondolf and funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This paper presents the view of collaborative research from the perspective of the program staff and what they learned from the process.
Violence Against Women - Synthesis of Research on Offender Interventions (pdf)
This report provides an overview of the latest research on interventions for men who assault women—wives, girlfriends, and acquaintances. The assaults may be physical or sexual, and they almost always involve psychological abuse. The overview begins with a description of the major components of current programs and then describes what is known about effective assessment and treatment methods. Several topics are covered that are often of interest to practitioners, including methods for enhancing treatment motivation, assessment of dangerousness, and culturally competent practice. The role of research in resolving controversial issues and the characteristics of sound evaluations are also discussed. Programs reviewed will be those commonly labeled as "social service," "treatment," and "psycho-educational," as opposed to purely criminal justice interventions.
Violence Against Women: Classic Papers
The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.
When Battered Women Stay... Advocacy Beyond Leaving
"This paper raises the key issues, questions, and dilemmas regarding advocacy with battered women who stay in their relationships. It discusses the limitations of safety strategies for leaving, and frames the issues central to the expansion of advocacy beyond leaving, including: 1) safety planning and advocacy with victims who stay; 2) ending violent and controlling behavior; and 3) knowing what children need to be OK."
Working with Men to Prevent Violence Against Women: Program Modalities and Formats (Part Two)
This VAWnet document discusses best practices in prevention, provides an overview of different program modalities and formats, and reviews pedagogies that can be used in working with men to prevent violence against women.
This paper is part of series of papers that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses the way to offer support and safety for children while maintaining safety, autonomy and choide for battered women.
Working with Young Men Who Batter: Current Strategies and New Directions
This article offers an overview of the recent juvenile batterer intervention programs. It identifies risk factors for teen dating violence perpetration as described by the literature and considers the utility of these findings, describes efforts to prevent re-offenses by juvenile perpetrators of domestic violence, discusses several shortcomings inherent in post-crisis intervention, and outlines current challenges within the field.
Child exposure
"This paper examines the process Vermont used, including areas of both agreement and uncertainty, and introduces the protocol to a wider audience of interveners. It draws on a review of planning notes and other documents and a series of interviews with those who participated in shaping the process and the protocol. It provides a starting point for other communities to explore their own response to children at domestic violence incidents, as well as an approach that can be used to examine other aspects of intervention."
A Judicial Checklist for Children and Youth Exposed to Violence (Actual Checklist for Consideration) (pdf)
A detailed checklist outlining information for judges to consider when working with cases where children or youth have been exposed to violence. A technical assistance brief detailing educational information and knowledge that is important for judges to be familiar with, can be found under the additional title.
A Judicial Checklist for Children and Youth Exposed to Violence (Informational Reading) (pdf)
A technical assistance brief that addresses the need for judges to understand the impact violence has on children and adolescents. The detailed checklist outlining information for judges to consider is located separate from this material.
A Judicial Guide to Child Safety in Custody Cases (pdf)
"This Judicial Guide contains 14 bench cards which provide an easy-to-use checklist system for judges at critical decision-making points throughout child custody cases, as well as a supplemental guide which provides additional information about in- and out-of-court behaviors, best interest of the child, and order issuance and enforcement. "
ABA Commission on Domestic Violence eNewsletter on DV and Child Protection
An e-newsletter featuring articles from experts on the intersection of domestic violence and child protection.
About Domestic Violence: Effects On Children & Teens
A discussion about the impact of domestic violence characterizes this document, and is supplemented with a review of the impact at the various stages of child development.
Accountability and Connection with Abusive Men (pdf)
"This document is an effort to remedy the excessive focus on mothers in cases involving domestic violence. It provides suggestions for connecting with and holding abusers accountable. It is a resource for child protection workers, supervisors, managers and others working with families involved in the child protection system."
Adaptation Guidelines for Serving Latino Children and Families Affected by Trauma (pdf)
"This document was created by experts in the fields of child trauma research, clinical practice, policy and cultural diversity to serve as a resource for anyone who works with Latino families who have experienced traumatic events. There are 12 priority areas covered ranging from micro issues (assessment and provision of therapy) to macro issues (organizational competence and policy). Each one includes an overview of the priority area, recommendations for improving practice based on that priority area, and additional resources for further information. Portions of these guidelines are geared for advocates and therapists, while other priority areas are designed for program administrators and policy makers."
Advocacy Beyond Leaving: Helping Battered Women in Contact With Current or Former Partners (pdf)
A guide for domestic violence advocates providing information on improving outreach and responses to domestic violence victims who are in contact with their partners or children’s fathers. This guide addresses how to identify safety strategies, find resources and to know what to say when a victim’s focus and goals are to remain in contact, remain in the relationship or to improve their children’s relationship with their father.
In this article Phil Arkow argues that it is important to use an ecological systems approach to better understand children’s interactions with animals. Understanding the role and impact of animals in the ecology of violent childhoods can help service providers to successfully address issues related to exposure to violence.
Assessing Child Exposure to Adult Domestic Violence (word)
This article addresses the current available assessment tools for measuring the level of exposure to domestic violence children have witnessed within the home. A brief review of the existing measurements is offered as well as the need for a more thoroughly refined assessment tool. Suggestions are offered.
Assessing Risk To Children From Batterers (pdf)
This document provides an overview of potential sources of physical and psychological injury to children from contact with batterers, details recommendations for evaluating the risk to children and provides assessment guidelines that professionals can apply in cases where a batterer admits to a history of abusiveness by asserting that he has changed. Information is also provided regarding the necessary context for children's recovery from exposure to battering behavior.
Balancing the Harms - Protecting Children
The author addresses the need for change in the child protection system and the current means through which children are removed from the home in domestic violence situations. The page provides a short video clip from the author's work-in-progress which addresses actual cases.
Barbara J. Hart's Collected Writings
Barbara J. Hart is the Legal Director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Associate Director of the Battered Women's Justice Project, and Legal Consultant to the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. This document contains 16 of her writings around issues of domestic violence.
Battered Women and Their Children
Battered Women and Their Children is a website devoted to a professional and scholarly examination of the connections between domestic violence (woman abuse) and child maltreatment (child abuse and neglect).
"The purpose of this study was to learn how CPS can be more responsive to families experiencing domestic violence and child abuse and neglect; learn how domestic violence advocates can be more effective in helping clients to respond to allegations of or actual child abuse and neglect and CPS interventions; explore how community can be more responsive to partner abuse and child abuse and neglect and provide support to families involved with CPS; and experiment with a research design that accomplishes the first step of participatory research and at the same time empowers advocates and survivors."
Battered Women's Reports of Their Partner's and Children's Cruelty to Animals (pdf)
"This research study describes how abuse of pets is a method employed by batterers to control their partners, contributes to the impact on children exposed to violence, and may also be related to batterers' lethality."
Beyond Observation: Considerations for Advancing Domestic Violence Practice in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper presents considerations for expanded practice in the Supervised Visitation Grant Program and describes interventions that go beyond observation in the supervised visitation setting."
A paper on the impact of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, and exposure to family violence on the sexual, reproductive, and parenting behaviors of young men.
Bringing the Greenbook to Life: a Resource Guide for Communities (pdf)
"This guide is designed for communities seeking to develop interventions that will improve their responses to families suffering both domestic violence and child maltreatment."
Building Bridges Between Domestic Violence Organizations and Child Protective Services
This paper provides both background information and a framework for collaboration with child protection agencies that will support the work of domestic violence advocates as they try to improve safety for women and their children.
November 1997. This paper is meant to serve as a working document rather than the "last word," and it will be subject to revision as child welfare and domestic violence agencies on the vanguard of creating partnerships learn more about the link between child abuse and domestic violence, and how to best protect both children and their abused mothers. While the suggested practices and policies are by no means exhaustive, it is hoped that setting them out will save agencies from having to "reinvent the wheel," and will, at the same time, motivate them to add additional "spokes."
Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: Statistics and Interventions (pdf)
"This 2008 brief report presents statistical information on maltreatment-related fatalities of children including who are the victims and perpetrators and how communities often respond. "
Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention: Reports from the Field and Ideas for the Future (pdf)
"This report summarizes findings from a PPN project conducted for the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Child Abuse Prevention Program. The project sought to assess the current state of the child abuse and neglect prevention field as well as identify potential future directions for the field in terms of emerging priorities and prevention strategies."
Child Abuse and Neglect: Compendia of Civil and Criminal State Laws
"This compendia list how each state in the U.S. defines child abuse and neglect. The compendia of civil state laws are to help legal and non-legal professionals in the analysis, formulation, and implementation of child protection and child welfare legislation. The Compendia (previously titled State Statutes Elements) contain citations and text of key civil statutes pertaining to child maltreatment, child welfare, and domestic violence. The Compendia are intended as research tools and do not substitute for the official version of any statute."
"Child and Family Service Reviews (CFSRs) evaluate public child welfare systems to determine how well they achieve safety, permanency, and well-being in difficult situations of neglect, physical and sexual abuse, and co-existing domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health issues, poverty, and community violence. This guide can help stakeholders develop effective (Program Improvement Plans) PIPs for achieving safety, permanency, and well-being in domestic violence cases, and to identify or anticipate related technical assistance needs."
"Describes major legal and social trends surrounding custody and visitation decisions and the social science evidence supporting the need to consider domestic violence. Recommendations for custody and visitation decisions are explored."
Child Maltreatment 2006 Report (pdf)
"The latest Child Maltreatment annual report reports statistical data from the states on reports of maltreatment, characteristics of the children involved and their perpetrators, fatalities tied to maltreatment, and services provided to prevent maltreatment or to address the consequences of maltreatment."
Child Protection Information Sheets (pdf)
"This booklet comprises 14 information sheets which highlight how child protection is crucial to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Covering different forms of abuse, these sheets also outline how to build a protective environment for children and what UNICEF is doing on the ground to protect children."
Child Protective Services for Children of Battered Women: Practice and Controversy
1995. A look at the difficulties that child protection workers face when trying to make a situation safe for children who witness woman abuse.
Child Support Protocol: A Guide for Integrated Domestic Violence Courts (pdf)
A best practices guide for legal professionals who oversee integrated domestic violence court cases involving child custody issues.
Child Welfare Practices for Cases with Domestic Violence (pdf)
This is the third edition of Child Welfare Practice for Cases with Domestic Violence, developed as part of an overall effort to increase the safety of adults and children through collaboration of domestic violence services and child protective services.
Child Welfare: Health & Human Services
This website provides a number of documents and related resources, particlarly for child welfare workers. Training resources and interventions are provided as well.
Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence - Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about child witnessing of domestic violence are answered along with information about how children are impacted, the long-term effects, and how to help.
Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence: A Meta-Analytic Review (pdf)
This study compared children exposed to domestic violence to children not so exposed. The results showed that child witnesses to domestic violence exhibit more negative outcomes.
Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence: Summary of State Laws (pdf)
Currently, approximately 22 States and Puerto Rico address in statute the issue of children who witness domestic violence in their homes. This document is a summary of those laws. Quickly find statute information for a particular State, here- https://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm
"Abuse studies from the author’s laboratory, studies of children in orphanages who lacked emotional contact, and a large number of animal deprivation and enrichment studies point to the need for children and young nonhuman mammals to have both stable emotional attachments with and touch from primary adult caregivers, and spontaneous interactions with peers. If these connections are lacking, brain development both of caring behavior and cognitive capacities is damaged in a lasting fashion. The effects of the childhood environment, favorable or unfavorable, interact with all the processes of neurodevelopment."
Childhood Sex Abuse Increases Risk for Drug Dependence in Adult Women
"The article briefly discusses the data results gathered from interviews of women revealing that those who experienced any type of sexual abuse in their childhood were roughly three times more likely than unabused girls to report drug dependence as adults."
Children and Domestic Violence
A variety of resources are provided for professionals and for any person interested in learning more about children and domestic violence, including books and training materials.
Children and Domestic Violence (pdf)
This document is based on a presentation done by Steve Cohen. It reviews the impact of exposure to domestic violence on children, the scope of the problem, and a variety of resources are also provided.
This research examines both the notification process for children's exposure to violence itself and the subsequent service pathways followed by families brought to the attention of children’s social services in this way. It also explores which other agencies contribute to services for families experiencing domestic violence and captures young people’s, survivors’ and perpetrators’ views of services.
Children and Family Violence: The Unnoticed Victims
May 1994 report based on a New Zealand study. This document goes into detail about child exposure to domestic violence and the consequences of such witnessing.
Children Exposed to Domestic Violence (pdf)
This December 2012 newsletter from the Center for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children provides clearly presented information on recent research around child exposure to domestic violence.
Children Exposed to Domestic Violence (pdf)
In this brief, an outline is provided that details the domestic violence problem, how it effects children by age and gender, the connection between DV and child abuse, and Rhode Islands specific efforts to combat the problem.
Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
The information provided in this article centers on the effects of child exposure to domestic violence, parenting practices, the need for collaboration between domestic violence advocates and child protection workers, and interventions for exposed children.
This handbook is for domestic violence specialists and trainers in police departments. It is designed to increase the understanding of children’s exposure to domestic violence by officers responding to these situations.
This 26-page resource helps educators understand how violence affects children at different ages, what teachers may see in the classroom, teaching strategies, handling parent-attended events, and supporting students who disclose.
Children Hurt Too: How You Can Help (pdf)
This booklet contains information put together by King County in Washington, that can help parents to talk to their children about the violence, and help children to recover from their experience so they don’t become abusers or victims themselves.
Children's Domestic Violence Assessment Tool (pdf)
"The purpose of this tool is to help assess safety, risk, strengths and needs. It may be used to assist in decision making and service planning during any stage of the CPS case (assessment through case planning and case management) in conjunction with required Structured Decision Making Tools. The tool is designed for use with the child(ren) in CPS cases involving domestic violence."
Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence in Australia (pdf)
In this paper, current knowledge about the extent of children's exposure to domestic violence in Australia is described, along with the documented impacts that this exposure can have on children. Current legislative and policy initiatives are then described and some community-based programs that have been introduced in Australia to address the problem of children's exposure to domestic violence are highlighted.
Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence: A Guide to Research and Resources (pdf)
Published in collaborative work with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, this document outlines: the impace of domestic violence on children, the legal issues and system responses affecting children exposed to domestic violence, and provides useful resources which address this specific area of interest.
Children's Exposure to Violence: The Safe Start Initiative (pdf)
This April 2001 Factsheet presents an overview of the Safe Start Initiative. Researchers estimate that as many as 10 million U.S. children witness or are victims of violence in their homes or communities each year. The Safe Start Initiative, which was developed by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in partnership with the Office of Justice Programs and the Department of Health and Human Services, is designed to prevent and reduce the impact of violence on young children and their families through the development of comprehensive and collaborative service delivery systems.
Children's Witnessing of Adult Domestic Violence (pdf)
This article focuses on understanding on how witnessing violence in defined, what we know about its effects on children, and how such information may be used or misused.
Children, Young People and Domestic Violence (pdf)
The author explores "the ways in which children and young people experience domestic violence," as well as the impact it has on child development and the response by professionals and the child protection system is also reviewed.
Children’s Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence and Other Family Violence (pdf)
This report explores the results of the the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV)and presents information regarding the types of exposure to family violence, the gender of the perpetrator, the relationship of the child witness to the perpetrator, and youth's reactions to the incident. It also discusses the implications of the survey data for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers and makes policy recommendations.
Children’s Exposure to Violence: A Comprehensive National Survey (pdf)
"This Bulletin discusses the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence that measured the past-year and lifetime exposure to violence for children age 17 and younger across several major categories: conventional crime, child maltreatment, victimization by peers and siblings, sexual victimization, witnessing and indirect victimization (including exposure to community violence and family violence), school violence and threats, and Internet victimization."
Chinese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Chinese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
This series was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part II of the series provides well-documented information for policy development regarding criminal and civil responses to issues impacting children exposed to domestic violence that hold batterers accountable. The paper incudes a discussion of unintended consequences of these policies, a review of several state statutes and a model response and recommendations for Vermont.
Collaborating for Family Safety: Results From the Greenbook Multisite Evaluation
"This special issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence features results from a multisite developmental evaluation of best practices at the intersection of child maltreatment and adult domestic violence."
"Two studies were conducted to identify the incidence (Study 1) and characteristics (Study 2) of juvenile prostitution cases known to law enforcement agencies in the United States. Findings indicate law enforcement responses to juvenile prostitution are influential in determining whether such youth are viewed as victims of commercial sexual exploitation or as delinquents."
Connecting the Dots: Children’s Exposure to Violence and Home Visiting Programs
The goal of this article, which is part of the Spring 2011 issue of Family Violence Prevention Fund's e-Journal: Family Violence Prevention and Health Practice, is to raise awareness and provide practical suggestions to bridge the disconnect between home visiting programs and addressing the needs of children exposed to domestic violence and their families.
Consequences of Childhood Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence
The findings presented in this report indicate that intimate partner violence has a significant and negative effect on externalizing child behavior, internalizing child behavior, general behavior problems, and drinking among children.
This document explores the attitudes and perceptions of women of color survivors with children. The overarching objective was to hear what women had to say about efforts to engage men and fathers of color as allies in stopping intimate partner violence and restoring health in partnership and parenting. The research was undertaken by the Family Violence Prevention Fund as part of the development of our national violence prevention campaign.
Crafting the Greenbook: Framers Reflect on the Vision, Process, and Lessons Learned
"As part of the evaluation of the Greenbook initiative, the evaluation team asked the national experts who helped frame the Greenbook to reflect on the processes used and the decisions that shaped the document. In addition, the experts were asked to describe their expectations for the systems and communities that implemented the recommendations, including anticipated challenges."
Usted sospecha que un niño que conoce ha visto o vivido la violencia? Quizás usted teme que conozca un niño dañado o affectado por la violencia. O quizás teme que algo no le pase bien a este niño, pero usted no sabe que. Puede ser dificil de suponer que pasa. Posiblemente no haya señales físicas, como moratones o cortes. Los niños suelen sufrir de "lesiones invisibles" que pueden afectarles emocionalmente y psicologicamente.
Danger Zone: Battered Mothers and Their Families in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper outlines research conducted at a supervised visitation center specifically for serving families where domestic violence was the primary reason for referral. The authors have classified their experiences based on these main subjects: battered women in supervised visitation, how battering continues during supervised visitation, how the rules of the supervised visitation center evolved during the first 18 months of implementation, the importance of well-trained visit monitors, and the need to include supervised visitation centers within a larger context of coordinated community responses to domestic violence."
Dating Abuse Prevention in Teens of Moms with Domestic Violence Protection Orders (pdf)
Children exposed to domestic violence are at increased risk of becoming victims and perpetrators of dating abuse when they become teens. Despite this increased risk and the fact that approximately 15 million children are exposed to domestic violence yearly, there have been no evaluated dating abuse prevention programs conducted specifically with this population. The purposes of the proposed research were to 1) develop an intervention to prevent dating abuse in 12 to 15 year old teens exposed to domestic violence (Aim 1), and 2) conduct a small randomized trial to pilot test the procedures that would be used in a future large randomized efficacy trial of the program (Aim 2).
Developmental Repair: A Training Manual (pdf)
Washburn Center for Children has recently completed a training manual on Developmental Repair – the treatment framework that has been developed and implemented in their Day Treatment Program under the clinical leadership of Anne Gearity PhD, LICSW. It is an intensive treatment model for working with young children who have experienced complex trauma and present with aggressive and disruptive symptoms.
Developmental Status and Early Intervention Service Needs of Maltreated Children (pdf)
"In this report, published by the Institute for Social and Economic Development, the authors analyze findings from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study and the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. They provide information about the developmental status and early intervention service needs of children under age three who are substantiated for maltreatment. Topics include: 1) the extent to which maltreated children have developmental problems or are subject to factors associated with poor developmental outcomes; 2) the services maltreated children might be eligible for and ones they receive through the child welfare systems; 3) case characteristics, such as child welfare setting, that impact the effect of developmental services; and 4) existing barriers to services."
Did You Know Your Relationship Affects Your Health? (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
Did You Know Your Relationship Affects Your Health? (Spanish) (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls (pdf)
"UNICEF's report discusses the scope and magnitude of the problem, causes and consequences of domestic violence, the socio-economic costs of violence, strategies and interventions, and state obligations with regard to domestic violence."
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls
"Highlights issues of abuse; femicide; forced prostitution; sexual abuse of children; sex-selective abortion, female infanticide and differential access to food and medical care; and, traditional and cultural practices that affect women's health and lives."
Domestic Violence Against Women in Albania (pdf)
"This qualitative report examines the prevalence of domestic violence in Albania, including forms of domestic violence and complicating factors."
Domestic Violence and Child Welfare Services
Statistics and links to helpful resources and information related to child welfare and domestic violence are provided in this document.
Domestic Violence and Children: A Children's Health Fund Report (pdf)
The author discusses domestic violence as a pediatric issue highlighting the number of children exposed to domestic violence each year and the consequences of such exposure.
Domestic Violence and children: Analysis and Recommendations
This document reviews the prevalence of child exposure to domestic violence by documenting their existence in all segments of the community. The impact of exposure on children is also discussed.
Domestic Violence and Children: Creating a Public Response (pdf)
The authors of this paper address children's exposure to domestic violence as a factor in healthy development. Research findings suggest that children who witness domestic violence are often unnoticed and underserved by other agencies in the community. Principles serving as a guiding framework for policy and service are outlined, as well as recommendations for communities and governmental bodies to help children experiencing domestic violence.
The author looks at domestic violence among women on welfare, the impact on children who are exposed to violence in the home, and methods to increase the stability of marriages.
Domestic Violence as a Form of Child Abuse: Identification and Prevention
By looking at the ways child exposure to domestic violence manifests itself during the various stages of a child's life, the author documents ways to identify problems in exposed children and discusses specific intervention strategies.
Domestic Violence is associated with environmental suppression of IQ in young children
The researchers document the consequences of early childhood stress, such as exposure to domestic violence, on brain development, which subsequently can lead to a lower IQ.
Domestic violence laws in Australia (pdf)
The report analyzes domestic violence legislation in all Australian States and Territories and in New Zealand in order to assist the Australian Government’s National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children. The report notes gaps and overlaps between State and Territory domestic violence protection orders and the Family Law Act 1975.
This is part of a series that was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part VI discusses actual and perceived conflicts of interest when service providers act in more than one role or relationship, providing recommendations on how to address these dilemmas/questions.
Effects of Domestic Violence on Children
Binnie discusses the resulting behaviors and manifestations of child exposure to domestic violence, variables/demographics that impact the response, and patterns of abuse, with a focus on Iowa laws.
Effects of Domestic Violence on Children and Adolescents: An Overview
The article examines the prevalence and domestic violence as a cause of traumatic stress in children.
Eliminating Violence against Children (pdf)
"Jointly produced by UNICEF and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, this handbook describes measures parliamentarians can take to end violence against children: they can legislate, oversee government activities, allocate financial resources and, as leaders in their nations and communities, raise awareness of issues."
Emerging issues in domestic/family violence research (pdf)
"This paper presents an overview of the key emerging issues in Australian domestic and family violence research in the context of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities; the elderly; those with disabilities; people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Indigenous communities; homelessness; the impact on children; and issues around perpetrator programs."
Emerging Responses to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence
"This document reviews the new research, policies, and programs focused on children who have witnessed adult domestic violence. It argues that the diversity of children’s experiences requires equally diverse responses from those who serve them."
This paper was originally delivered as a talk at the Violence Institute of New Jersey, June 21, 2000. This paper discusses the links between the abuse of women and the maltreatment of their children and the connection between domestic violence and poverty.
Fact Sheet: The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children (pdf)
"Addresses the impact of domestic violence on children and the likelihood that men who abuse their partners will also abuse their children. Lists statistics that reflect the most recent research concerning the effects of domestic violence on children."
Family Court Statistics: an overview of Family Court Statistics in New Zealand 2004 to 2008
This bulletin analyzes, between 2004 and 2008, the four main areas that come under the jurisdiction of the Family Court in New Zealand, including family violence and child protection.
Family Violence: Open Directory Project
This page is a comprehensive list of links to various organizations and websites that provide information and resources about children and domestic violence.
Farsi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
Farsi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. It locates a range of abuses and abusers in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration.
Fathering After Violence: Working with Abusive Fathers in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
This guide is intended to assist the grantees of the Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program that want to enhance the safety and well-being of women and children by working more deliberately with abusive fathers who use the centers to visit their children.
Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-4) (pdf)
"The NIS is a congressionally mandated, periodic research effort to assess the incidence of child abuse and neglect in the United States. The NIS gathers information from multiple sources to estimate the number of children who are abused or neglected, providing information about the nature and severity of the maltreatment, the characteristics of the children, perpetrators, and families, and the extent of changes in the incidence or distribution of child maltreatment since the time of the last national incidence study."
Guidelines for Responding to the Co-occurrence of Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence (pdf)
The purpose of these Guidelines is to provide direction to child protection staff when responding to situations in which child maltreatment and domestic violence are both occurring.
Guiding Principles for Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program (pdf)
"This document was designed to guide the development and administration of Supervised Visitation Program centers with an eye toward addressing the needs of child(ren) and adult victims of domestic violence in visitation and exchange settings. The Guiding Principles look beyond the visitation setting to address how communities funded under the Supervised Visitation Program should address domestic violence in the larger community."
Healing the Invisible Wounds: Children's Exposure to Violence A Guide for Families (pdf)
"This booklet helps parents and other caregivers understand the potential impact of exposure to violence on the development of their children, and provides practical suggestions for supporting the healing process."
Health Care Costs Associated with Violence in Pennsylvania (pdf)
"Reports the impact of violence in Pennsylvania including interpersonal violence (homicide, aggravated assault, rape) domestic violence (partner, child and elder abuse) and self-directed violence (suicide and attempted suicide)."
Healthy Development: A Summit on Children’s Mental Health (pdf)
"This report was compiled from a 2009 Summit that brought together a comprehensive group of stakeholders in child and family mental health with the goal of promoting children’s mental health. The report addresses issues such as the prevalence of children’s mental health, gaps in service, current research and public perceptions of mental health, and provides recommendations."
Healthy Marriage and the Legacy of Child Maltreatment: A Child Welfare Perspective (pdf)
"This brief explores how childhood experiences, specifically child maltreatment and involvement with the child welfare system, impact the potential for a healthy, lasting marriage. The author also offers recommendations for addressing the unique needs of couples in which one or both partners have experienced childhood maltreatment."
Helping Children Cope with Violence: A School-Based Program That Works (pdf)
Violence is one of our most significant public health issues. Children exposed to violence frequently develop post-traumatic stress symptoms. They are more likely to have behavioral problems, poorer school performance, more days of school absence, and feelings of depression and anxiety. School officials are often willing to provide help at school. But these professionals face an important question: What works? There have been no randomized controlled trials of intervention effectiveness with which to answer this question. To fill this gap, a team of clinician-researchers from several institutions collaborated to develop, implement, and evaluate an intervention designed to help children traumatized by violence. The team included professionals from the RAND Corporation, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
Helping Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: Law Enforcement and Community Partnerships (pdf)
March 2001 report. Discusses law enforcement and community responses to children who have been exposed to domestic violence.
This 76-page resource is written for service providers assisting women who have survived woman abuse. Material addresses the needs of abused women as mothers, how abusive men parent, how abusive men affect family dynamics, effects of power and control tactics on mothers, the potential impact of woman abuse on children of different ages, and strategies used by young people to cope with violence in their homes. Guidance on parenting children who have lived with violence is also offered. Forty-four pages are designed as handouts for women, to be distributed as an adjunct to individual or group interventions on woman abuse or on parenting.
Helping Traumatized Children at School
A paper that discusses school interventions for traumatized children. It provides some of the guidelines and resources for use when youth's traumas affect their ability to function at school.
Helping Traumatized Children: Tips for Judges (pdf)
"This fact sheet for judges and other court personnel outlines the impact of trauma on children's development, beliefs, and behaviors. It is designed to help professionals in the juvenile justice and family court system become more effective in addressing the unique needs and challenges of the traumatized children and adolescents they work with."
In this article, which is part of the Spring 2011 issue of Family Violence Prevention Fund's e-Journal: Family Violence Prevention and Health Practice, Dr. Megan Bair-Merritt provides an overview of what we know about the impact of home visiting programs on IPV. She begins by describing how intimate partner violence (IPV) affects children’s heath, and includes the latest research on home visitation interventions to address IPV. The article concludes with five recommendations for translating research into policy and best practices.
"The authors review the literature on resilience following childhood maltreatment and describe how variation in the measurement of outcomes at various developmental stages affects research findings, practice implications, and policy recommendations."
How Children Are Involved in Adult Domestic Violence: Results From a Four City Telephone Survey (pdf)
This article, which was published in Vol. 18, No. 1 of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2003), summarizes a study that collected direct reports on domestic violence events. Information was gathered through anonymous telephone interviews with 114 battered mothers in four metropolitan areas across the United States, eliciting detailed information from the women on their children’s observations and responses to the violence being committed against the mothers. The article concludes with recommendations for a greater emphasis on careful assessment of children’s involvement in domestic violence incidents and on assisting mothers to achieve economic stability as well as safety.
How to obtain U Interim Relief: A Brief Manual for Advocates Assisting Immigrant Victims of Crime (pdf)
This manual provides U Visa information for advocates who assist victims of crime, including domestic violence. The author outlines the definition, requirements, and application process for U Visa Interim relief and also offers information on obtaining permanent residency and derivative status for family members.
The guidelines offered here provide specific recommendations for screening and responding to domestic violence in child health settings, which provide a unique and important opportunity to screen for domestic violence and to educate parents about the impact of such violence on children. These guidelines also speak to the need for child health providers to engage in, model, and take leadership in delivering effective primary prevention of domestic violence, as well as other types of family and community violence, by highlighting violence prevention during well child and other routine visits, as a component of routine anticipatory guidance.
Court preparation is beneficial for the children required to testify in a courtroom. The purpose of a child-witness court preparation program is to assist the child witness in her or his ability to testify truthfully and effectively in a courtroom. This is important because children are required to testify about serious allegations that hold potentially significant outcomes for them or those accused. Having an unprepared child take the witness stand and offer poor testimony is not only regrettable, but preventable.
This is a briefing paper prepared for a Wingspread Conference of a similar title. It discusses family violence, specifically against women and children, barriers to helping the victims, and the importance of collaboration to effect change.
Infant Exposure to Domestic Violence Predicts Heightened Sensitivity to Adult Verbal Conflict (pdf)
The results of this article found that infants do respond negatively to verbal conflict in the environment.
Intergenerational Transmission of Partner Violence: A 20-Year Prospective Study (pdf)
An unselected sample of 543 children was followed over 20 years to test the independent effects of parenting, exposure to domestic violence between parents (ETDV), maltreatment, adolescent disruptive behavior disorders, and emerging adult substance abuse disorders (SUDs) on the risk of violence to and from an adult partner.
Interpersonal violence and alcohol (pdf)
This report by the World Health Organization presents research on the relation between alcohol and violence. It suggests that alcohol is a situational determinant which increases the risk of most types of violence. Hazardous and harmful use of alcohol has also been shown to be an important consequence of experiencing or witnessing most forms of violence, but especially child maltreatment and intimate partner violence.
Intersection of Child Abuse and Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence
"This review addresses research on the overlap in physical child abuse and domestic violence, the prediction of child outcomes, and resilience in children exposed to family violence."
Intimate or Childhood Sexual Abuse and Obesity in Kentucky
This study concluded that sexual abuse, whether experienced as an adult or child, was associated with a 32% increase in obesity among 4,391 women in Kentucky. The study also found that intimate partner violence and obesity are common health threats for women. The authors suggest that efforts to prevent physical and sexual abuse and mental health consequences of abuse on victims can have implications to improve women's health.
Keeping Children Safe When Parents Are Arrested: Local Approaches That Work (pdf)
This report presents protocols developed by four California communities that coordinated responses between child welfare services and law enforcement when parents are arrested. The report found that there were decreased trauma rates in the communities, fewer children taken into custody by child protective services, and increased positive interaction between parents, communities, and law enforcement.
Korean Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Korean translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Learning to Listen, Learning to Help: Understanding Woman Abuse and Its Effects on Children (pdf)
A concise handbook for students and volunteers entering the helping professions, to prepare them to recognize and respond to families in which there is or was violence at home. Topics include background material on the dynamics of woman abuse, the concept of power and control, facts and figures, how to support women and help them find appropriate resources, how children are affected by violence, how children cope with violence at home, how to respond to child disclosure of abuse and neglect, standards of professional conduct, taking stock of your own attitudes, and suggestions for how you can make a difference to end violence.
Little eyes, little ears: How violence against a mother shapes children as they grow (pdf)
This comprehensive 44 page document is divided by topics that cover facts and figures, types of abuse against women and children, ways a child can be impacted by domestic violence, myths about women and abuse, copin strategies, and responding and reporting, among others.
"This report from the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention provides and overview of a range of prevention strategies that have been found to have some evidence of being able to preventing child abuse and neglect. "
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect: State Statutes and Professional Ethics (pdf)
A comprehensive listing of state statutes on mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect. Also included is a listing of reporting requirements and code of ethics for professionals in various fields.
Mental Health Services for Children Who Witness Domestic Violence
This article discusses the growing body of empirical research that demonstrates that exposure to domestic violence deleteriously affects children's social, emotional, and cognitive development.
Mothers and Children: Understanding the Links Between Woman Battering and Child Abuse
This is a briefing paper for a strategic planning meeting on the Violence Against Women Act. "This paper focuses on an important gap in our current understandings of family violence: the link between woman battering and child abuse. It is surprising that after so many years of public attention it is only in recent years that a discussion of this link has begun to appear in the literature. At present, there is much more we need to know about the overlap between woman and child abuse."
Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Handling Cases of Forced Marriage (pdf)
"This report lists warning signs and appropriate actions for teachers and other school employees to take when they suspect a forced marriage of a child is imminent. The report also contains guidelines for police officers, health care professionals, and social workers, and provides general information on good practices when caring for victims of forced marriage."
This series was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part V describes the structure and purpose of child protection teams, provides guiding questions for domestic violence advocate members of such teams and highlights recommendations.
National Advisory Committee on Violence Against Women, 2012 Final Report (pdf)
The focus of this report was on learning more about solutions to protect children from the harmful consequences of experiencing and witnessing violence in the home. Developed and written by some of the leading experts in the field, this report provides recommendations for developing innovative and successful interventions with children and teens who witness or are victimized by domestic violence, dating violence and sexual assault.
National Center for Children Exposed to Violence
It is the mission of the National Center for Children Exposed to Violence (NCCEV) to increase the capacity of individuals and communities to reduce the incidence and impact of violence on children and families; to train and support the professionals who provide intervention and treatment to children and families affected by violence; and, to increase professional and public awareness of the effects of violence on children, families, communities and society.
Not Enough: What TANF Offers Family Violence Victims (pdf)
Based on a national survey of service providers, this report is a comprehensive effort to understand when TANF successfully assists victims of family violence, and when the program falls short.
Overlap of Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment in U.S. State Civil and Criminal Statutes
This April 2000 table lists statutes alphabetically by state.
Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation: Research Reviews (pdf)
This VAWnet document provides a historical and research overview of Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation, identifies strategic issues for advocates working with victims, and offers guidelines to improve courts’ treatment of these issues.
Parenting in the Context of Domestic Violence (pdf)
This report describes children’s exposure to domestic violence, the needs of both parents and children in the context of domestic violence events, and the resources available to help them.
Patrick Stewart: the legacy of domestic violence
In this article, the actor describes how he regularly saw his father hit his mother and how the horrors of his childhood experiences remained with him throughout his adult life.
Police in the Lives of Young Children Exposed to Domestic Violence (pdf)
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper explores the important roles the police officer can play in assisting children and families experiencing domestic violence.
Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)
This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.
Problems Associated with Children's Witnessing of Domestic Violence (pdf)
This document discusses children's problems associated with witnessing violence and the factors that influence the degree of those problems. The author also offers a critique of the research methods used to study child witnessing of violence and explores the policy implications of the data on this issue.
Promising Approaches: Working with Families, Child Welfare and Domestic Violence (pdf)
The purpose of this brochure is to provide a framework for mandated reporters to create family centered approaches when domestic violence is identified and to offer guidelines to assist mandated reporters to assess accurately and sympathetically, the impact of domestic violence on children and their families.
Prosecutors, Kids, and Domestic Violence Cases (pdf)
"This article describes some of the issues prosecutors should be aware of when they handle domestic violence cases involving children, especially in light of recent legislation aiming to protect children."
This 145 page article is a comprehensive review and critical discussion about the laws and child protection responses that have shown to be effective.
Punjabi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Punjabi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Realizing the Promise of Home Visitation: Addressing Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment (pdf)
"This guide is intended to help policy makers and advocates build a strong national policy framework to maximize the effectiveness and reach of early childhood home visiting programs. It is intended to ensure that federal home visiting policies directly address: the needs of mothers and children who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing domestic violence, the link between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect, and the impact of domestic violence on the health and well-being of children and families."
Reasonable Efforts Checklist for Dependency Cases Involving Domestic Violence (pdf)
"This checklist includes easy reference bench cards for judges to consult during removal, adjudication, disposition, review, permanency, and termination hearings involving domestic violence. It is designed to aid judges in making reasonable efforts findings that are required by federal law in dependency cases involving domestic violence."
Reasonable Efforts or Unrealistic Expectations: A Look at Hennepin County Child Protection Cases (pdf)
"The purpose of this report is to identify ways in which Hennepin County could provide greater support for families throughout the Children in Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS) process and improve the systems in which judges, social workers, and guardians ad litem (GAL) are operating."
Recognizing children and young people living in the context of domestic violence
In the past forty years developing research has shown that children and young people who have witnessed domestic violence in their life time are likely to face long term implications in respect of their emotional, psychological and behavioral development. For children and young people who witness domestic violence, this experience is core to their lives, yet service support and delivery is still fragmented across the UK. The government need to re-address the evidence from research and practice that shows us the extent of the problem and its effects upon children and young people, so they recognize the need to appropriately fund and deliver supportive services for our young and vulnerable population. (2010)
Reflections from the Field: Considerations for Domestic Violence Specialists (pdf)
"Domestic violence and child protection professionals from multiple states came together to discuss the complexity of systems-change work and the continued need for a social justice framework to guide these efforts. This document is a compilation of their stories and insights as people who have worked as or supported domestic violence specialists dedicated to helping families experiencing the co-occurrence of domestic violence and child maltreatment."
Report of the Attorney General’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence (pdf)
The task force report includes 56 recommendations and highlights the importance of identifying children who are victims or witnesses of violence and providing support and services to help them heal. It focuses on developing programs to help children access supportive and non-violent relationships with trusted adults in their homes and communities. The task force also calls for all children who enter the juvenile justice system to be screened for exposure to violence.
This document, comprised of research from many leading experts in the field of domestic violence, lays out the case that the majority of high conflict child custody disputes have a history of domestic violence.
Research Summary: Children Exposed to Violence
A short summary of research on child exposure to violence from the National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families. Also includes a summary of the benefits of early intervention in the lives of children who have experienced or witnessed violence.
Responding to the Co-occurrence of Child Maltreatment and Adult Domestic Violence in Hennepin County
In this report, Drs. Edleson and Beeman and their research assistants detail information collected from a variety of sources during the first half of 1999. Information collection included detailed reporting by child protection screeners and investigators in the Hennepin County Department of Children and Family Services (HCDCFS), consulting with national experts in this area, reviewing published materials on prominent demonstration projects from around the United States and Canada, and holding a series of stakeholder meetings throughout Hennepin County.
A blog developed by David Mandel & Associates, LLC in which they will be exploring the ideas underpinning the Safe and Together model. The model provides a practical and concrete approach to improving the response of child welfare to the risk and safety concerns presented by batterers. They will be providing practical tips and ideas for policy and practice. All are welcome to participate in the discussion.
Safe From the Start: Taking Action on Children Exposed to Violence
This article, conceived from the National Summit on Children Exposed to Violence, presents an action plan that outlines principles for preventing and reducing the negative impact of children's exposure to violence.
Safe Start Promising Approaches Communities: Working Together to Help Children Exposed to Violence (pdf)
Launched by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention(OJJDP) and its Federal partners in the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services, the initiative is designed as a national framework which seeks to address the needs of children exposed to violence. This booklet describes each of the 15 Safe Start Promising Approaches communities and outlines how these programs are integrating evidence-based or promising practices as well as other complementary interventions within their geographical, agency, and community contexts.
Security Begins at Home (pdf)
The Kosova Women’s Network released the country’s first study on domestic violence, called Security Begins at Home. The report highlights key points such as: what the citizens of Kosovo perceive as domestic violence, the forms and consequences of domestic violence, citizens' response to ending it, and the legal and institutional gaps in addressing it.
Sharwline Nicholson v. Nicholas Scoppetta - Appeals Decision
This document outlines the Appeals decision regarding the case of Nicholson (filed as a class action in federal court in 2001). This history of this decision is based on the class action lawsuit in which battered mothers and their children in New York City successfully challenged the City child welfare agency's practice and policy of removing children from battered mothers and charging the mothers with child neglect due to domestic violence. The federal court ruled that the practice is unconstitutional under federal law. The case went up on appeal.
Shattered Hearts: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of American Indian Women and Girls in Minnesota (pdf)
A groundbreaking report released by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) highlights the alarming and pervasive sex trafficking of American Indian women and girls in Minnesota. The first comprehensive report of its kind, it highlights risk factors for victims that include poverty, a disproportionate number of American Indian homeless, high incidences of overall sexual assault, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and pervasive multi-generational trauma.
Shattered Lives: Homicides, Domestic Violence and Asian Families (pdf)
This report focuses on domestic violence related homicides as a critical issue affecting Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women since 2001. Types of domestic violence related homicides, children as victims, and perpetrator types are discussed. Findings and recommendations are also provided.
Should Childhood Exposure to Adult Domestic Violence Be Defined as Child Maltreatment Under the Law?
Published as a chapter in Protecting Children From Domestic Violence: Strategies for Community Intervention (2004), this article reviews the research on childhood exposure to domestic violence and emerging laws aimed at protecting these children. The author concludes with an argument against assuming that childhood exposure to violence is automatically a form of child maltreatment and suggests the need to modify child protection services and the expansion of primarily voluntary community-based responses to these children and their families.
Silent Realities: Supporting Young Children and Their Families Who Experience Violence (pdf)
This guide describes the effects of trauma on young children and suggests strategies for helping victims and witnesses of community and domestic violence to heal. Based on concepts presented by experts attending an institute held during a National Head Start Association training conference in April 2000, the discussion emphasizes the importance of encouraging children and adults to express their fears.
Social Worker's Practice Guide to Domestic Violence (pdf)
A guide created by the Department of Social and Health Services, for social workers working with domestic violence issues in the state of Washington. Includes information on how social workers should work with victims and perpetrators, child assessment of exposure to violence, as well as legal and policy issues in the state.
Supervised Visitation Programs: Information for Mothers Who Have Experienced Abuse (pdf)
"This guide was created for mothers who have experienced abuse and whose children are involved in supervised visitation programs. The guide provides information about how the programs work and how mothers can prepare themselves and their children for the experience."
Supervised Visitation: Information for Mothers Who Have Been Abused (pdf)
"This Guide should be given directly to mothers who have experienced abuse and whose children are in supervised visitation programs. It will tell mothers basic information about how supervised visitation programs work and how she can prepare herself and her children for the experience. If she is afraid of her children’s father or was abused by him, then the information in this Guide will be particularly helpful to her."
Supporting Battered Mothers Protects Children: Reducing the Effects of Domestic Violence on Children (pdf)
This report was created in response to a request from the Chairman of the Missouri Children’s Services Commission, Representative Jeff Grisamore. It contains the latest research on the prevalence of child exposure to domestic violence and best practices in addressing this violence. The report also includes recommendations on how the state of Missouri can better meet the needs of children and mothers experiencing violence.
Tackling Domestic Violence: Providing Support for Children Who Have Witnessed Domestic Violence (pdf)
"This report provides good practice recommendations and suggestions for a range of practitioners and professionals who have a role in commissioning, developing, or delivering initiatives to support children who have in the past or are currently witenssing domestic violence."
Tagalog Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Tagalog translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
"This free advanced domestic violence curriculum outlines safely preparing for and managing effective meetings, engaging parents around domestic violence issues, assessing the impact of children’s exposure to domestic violence, and making decisions and plans to increase safety for children and battered mothers."
Technology Safety & Advocacy Special Collection
This special collection includes a categorized and annotated listing of selected articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and other materials regarding the use of technology as it impacts and intersects with violence against women and children. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in the safe use of technology.
This is a Canadian study, the objective of which was to examine the child welfare system’s response to child maltreatment investigations substantiated for exposure to domestic violence (EDV). The study is based on a secondary analysis of data collected in the 2003 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect.
This document displays the results of a comparative overview of the child welfare response within Canadian boundaries to child exposure to domestic violence. Implications for policy are discussed.
The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across the Lifespan
"This document summarizes the available research on childhood stress and its long-term consequences. Of particular interest is the stress caused by child abuse, neglect, and repeated exposure to intimate partner violence."
The Effects of Family and Community Violence on Children
This document is a review of the current literature on the impact that various types of violence exposure has on children.
The Epidemiology of Trauma and Trauma-Related Disorders in Children and Youth (pdf)
"This publication reviews general population studies, disaster research, child maltreatment studies, and special population studies that report the prevalence of PTSD in children, adolescents, and young adults. It includes a brief discussion of the cumulative adverse effects of traumatic stress experienced from infancy through adolescence."
The Facts on Children and Domestic Violence (pdf)
Outlined in this document is a list of statistics related to domestic violence and its impact on children and pregnancy.
The Facts on Health Care & Domestic Violence (pdf)
"Statistics on domestic violence incidents highlighting health consequences to the victim, children's health issues, hospital and other health service costs, identification and screening practices in health care settings, and domestic violence during and after pregnancy."
The Future of the Grave Risk Of Harm Defense in Hague Cases
This article discusses the future of the grave risk of harm defense in Hague Convention international child abduction cases. It provides an interpretation of the Hague Convention in the traditional view as well as in the context of domestic violence. Examples of court rulings are provided which evaluated the nature of abuse and the likelihood of legal protection in the country to which the children are being returned.
The Greenbook Initiative Final Evaluation Report (pdf)
"The Greenbook national evaluation results are presented in three reports. The Greenbook Demonstration Initiative: Process Evaluation Report: Phase 1 focused on the planning and goal setting phase of the Greenbook initiative in the sites. This final evaluation report assesses the extent to which the Greenbook implementation activities facilitated cross-system and within system change and practice in the child welfare agencies, dependency courts, and domestic violence service providers."
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Overlap Between Child Maltreatment and Woman Abuse
Reviews over 35 studies on the overlap between child maltreatment and woman battering in the same families. This paper has now been published in Violence Against Women, 1999, 5(2), pp. 134-154 and is no longer available on this site. This link, however, goes to a brief VAWnet paper on the topic.
The prevalence of child abuse and neglect
"A resource sheet that summarizes the current knowledge about the prevalence of child abuse and neglect in Australia. It provides an overview of Australian studies that have estimated the prevalence of the different forms of child maltreatment."
The Psychological Maltreatment of Children -Technical Report (2002)
"Psychological maltreatment is a common consequence of physical and sexual abuse but also may occur as a distinct entity. Until recently, there has been controversy regarding the definition and consequences of psychological maltreatment. Sufficient research and consensus now exist about the incidence, definition, risk factors, and consequences of psychological maltreatment."
The Relationship Between Domestic Violence and Child Abuse (pdf)
"Cites surveys and reports published between 1987 and 1996, briefly describing: what is domestic violence; what is child abuse; how does domestic violence affect children; and similarities/correlations between domestic violence and/or child abuse."
The framework of the Safe and Together model provides a methodology for improving child welfare competencies and cross system collaboration between child welfare and its community partners.
The Safe Start Center Series on Children Exposed to Violence: Pediatric Care Settings (pdf)
This issue brief translates emerging research and program practice into action steps for practitioners in pediatric care settings to design and implement programs that meet the needs of children who are exposed to violence.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants (pdf)
Manual on the preparation, filing and processing of applications pursuant to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Also includes detailed information on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for Children Under Juvenile Court Jurisdiction, and U and T Non-Immigrant Visas (Victims of Crime and Trafficking). A good resource for advocates and legal professionals working with these victims.
This document takes some time to download, especially with a slow connection.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 1-100 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 101-200 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 301-380 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
Trauma Informed Care Resources for Children Exposed to Violence
Exposure to violence at home, in the form of child abuse and neglect, or in the community, whether at school or in the neighborhood, can affect young people in profound ways. This resource provides information on children's exposure to violence for parents and other caregivers, as well as for teachers and other agencies and staff who may work with these youth. Information includes warning signs of exposure to violence and what you can do to intervene.
Families living in domestic violence or homeless shelters are more likely to be exposed to violence and other traumatic stressors. Each child and situation is different, but exposure to these traumatic stressors—including violence—can overwhelm children at any age and lead to problems in their daily lives. This tip sheet includes warning signs of exposure to violence as well as what staff can do, including referrals and support.
Trauma-Informed Care for Children Exposed to Violence:Tips for Parents and Other Caregivers (pdf)
Fact sheet like break down of warning signs that a child has been exposed to violence depending on age, and what you can do to help.
UN study on Violence Against Children
"A press release on a new effort to provide a detailed global picture of the nature, extent and causes of violence against children, and propose clear recommendations for action to prevent and reduce such violence. The study focuses on violence against children in five settings: the home and family, schools and educational settings, other institutional settings (orphanages, children in conflict with the law), the community and on the streets, and work situations. "
Understanding Children’s Exposure to Violence (pdf)
The Safe Start Center has developed a series of briefs on Children Exposed to Violence. The briefs are developed to respond to an urgent need to translate research-based information and disseminate it to practitioners who can use it in their work with children and families in different settings. This particular brief describes core concepts—gleaned from research and program practice—used in designing and implementing programs that address children’s exposure to violence.
This is currently the final publication in the series created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part VII reports on findings from a study investigating the number of children/youth in Vermont exposed to domestic violence, the effects of this exposure on their social/emotional development and mental health, services provided by domestic violence network and mental health programs, perceived barriers to providing these services, the training needs of service providers in Vermont and both strengths and gaps in the continuum of services for these children/youth.
"The intent of this protocol is to assist law enforcement officers in their response to children at the scene of domestic violence incidents. In addition, the protocol outlines an effective response which includes: assessing whether children have been physically harmed, minimizing the impact and repercussions to children who are present, empowering children as much as possible in the process, maintaining victim safety, and maintaining batterer accountability."
This document is part I of a series created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part I describes the philosophy and structure of the "coordinated approach" as it impacts the three primary areas of services, training and policy. Lessons learned are highlighted.
Violence in Families: Assessing Prevention and Treatment Programs
This is a full-text online book made available courtesy of The National Academies Press. This important book, published in 1998, details out chapter by chapter the different types of interventions to be utilized by different types of professionals, as well as makes recommendations.
Violence in the Lives of Children (pdf)
"This data brief from Child Trends reviews data on the types of violence experienced by U.S. children, including exposure to violence through media to abuse by parents and peers. Differences by age, gender, and race/ethnicity are discussed along with priorities for filling gaps in the data that is available on this topic."
Vision for services for children and young people affected by domestic violence (pdf)
Vision for services for children and young people affected by domestic violence offers a pathway for services for children experiencing domestic violence. This guidance offers a template which directors of children's services, cabinet members with lead responsibility for children and their local safeguarding children's boards, working with domestic violence partnerships can use to incorporate the needs of children experiencing domestic violence in planning children's services.
What About Me? Seeking to Understand the Child's View of Violence in the Family (pdf)
This study was funded by the National Crime Prevention Strategy in Ottawa. It involves an exhaustive review of the literature on child exposure to domestic violence (almost 400 sources) integrated with extensive clinical experience to create a revolutionary new framework for understanding, studying and intervening with children who have lived with woman abuse. Case studies illustrate key points and child drawings bring to life the experience of violence through young eyes.
What Is Trauma and Why Is It Important?
This is the first issue in a series focusing on trauma and child welfare systems. This issue defines trauma and describes its significance. Successive issues will highlight childhood trauma in the context of culture and identify ways in which child welfare systems can best respond to children.
When Battered Women Stay... Advocacy Beyond Leaving
"This paper raises the key issues, questions, and dilemmas regarding advocacy with battered women who stay in their relationships. It discusses the limitations of safety strategies for leaving, and frames the issues central to the expansion of advocacy beyond leaving, including: 1) safety planning and advocacy with victims who stay; 2) ending violent and controlling behavior; and 3) knowing what children need to be OK."
When Children Experience Domestic Violence: Expert Opinion
This document includes a summary of a ruling made by a New York Judge to stop removing children from battered women because children of such women are exposed to domestic violence.
Widening Our Lens (pdf)
"This brochure presents a comprehensive strategy to address the impact of child maltreatment, interpersonal, and family violence on youth."
Witnessing Domestic Violence: The Effect on Children
The author discusses the conequences of child exposure to domestic violence across various ages, as well as prevention and screening techniques. Community advocacy is emphasized.
Witnessing Violence Fact Sheet
The authors discuss the types of violence that children witness, prevlance rates, correlates, and future directions for research.
Working with Children Towards a Healthy & Non-Violent Future
"This Special Collection provides a unique perspective on working with children (younger than 13 years of age), focusing on theories and strategies for raising respectful, non-violent people. Resources included here discuss child development and how to utilize this knowledge when implementing primary prevention strategies that foster healthy attitudes and behaviors"
This paper is part of series of papers that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses the way to offer support and safety for children while maintaining safety, autonomy and choide for battered women.
Working with Young Men Who Batter: Current Strategies and New Directions
This article offers an overview of the recent juvenile batterer intervention programs. It identifies risk factors for teen dating violence perpetration as described by the literature and considers the utility of these findings, describes efforts to prevent re-offenses by juvenile perpetrators of domestic violence, discusses several shortcomings inherent in post-crisis intervention, and outlines current challenges within the field.
Young Children Living with Domestic Violence: The Role of Early Childhood Programs (pdf)
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper highlights the rold of early childhood programs in supporting staff, community and state programs on behalf of the children and families affected by domestic violence.
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses impacts of adult domestic violence to young children through developmental risk and resiliency.
This handbook contains information that will help you learn about: domestic violence and its impact on adolescents; evaluating risk and safety planning for victims of domestic violence; coordinated justice responses to domestic violence and the role of juvenile custody programs and probation; risk assessment and reduction with adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; promising practices for adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; and resources on domestic violence for adolescent victims and perpetrators.
Child welfare
15 Years of the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences (pdf)
This report reviews the status of violence against women as researched in 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, and 11 communication reports published as recently as December 2008. The report focuses on reproductive health and rights, poverty, migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women refugees, trafficking, aging, and adolescent girls. It also highlights how the mandate on violence against women has changed, what has been learned, and problems still to be addressed.
2009 KIDS COUNT Data Book: State Profiles of Child Well-being (pdf)
This 20th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book provides national and state-by-state information and statistical trends on the conditions of America’s children and families. The book reports on indicators of educational achievement, economic well-being, and health, among others. The book also ranks states on a composite indicator of child wellness, aggregating measures such as infant mortality rate, graduation rates, and children in poverty.
"This paper examines the process Vermont used, including areas of both agreement and uncertainty, and introduces the protocol to a wider audience of interveners. It draws on a review of planning notes and other documents and a series of interviews with those who participated in shaping the process and the protocol. It provides a starting point for other communities to explore their own response to children at domestic violence incidents, as well as an approach that can be used to examine other aspects of intervention."
A Judicial Guide to Child Safety in Custody Cases (pdf)
"This Judicial Guide contains 14 bench cards which provide an easy-to-use checklist system for judges at critical decision-making points throughout child custody cases, as well as a supplemental guide which provides additional information about in- and out-of-court behaviors, best interest of the child, and order issuance and enforcement. "
ABA Commission on Domestic Violence eNewsletter on DV and Child Protection
An e-newsletter featuring articles from experts on the intersection of domestic violence and child protection.
Accountability and Connection with Abusive Men (pdf)
"This document is an effort to remedy the excessive focus on mothers in cases involving domestic violence. It provides suggestions for connecting with and holding abusers accountable. It is a resource for child protection workers, supervisors, managers and others working with families involved in the child protection system."
This report offers an analysis and recommendations to address the impact of domestic violence and child welfare systems in communities of color. Six culture-specific organizations were partnered with to create a multi-dimensional analysis for this report. The Dialogues section offers analysis and describes some of the common findings and issues, while the Recommendations section addresses these issues. Thus, critiques and system changes go hand in hand, and are offered in the spirit of constructive engagement and strengthening communities
Adaptation Guidelines for Serving Latino Children and Families Affected by Trauma (pdf)
"This document was created by experts in the fields of child trauma research, clinical practice, policy and cultural diversity to serve as a resource for anyone who works with Latino families who have experienced traumatic events. There are 12 priority areas covered ranging from micro issues (assessment and provision of therapy) to macro issues (organizational competence and policy). Each one includes an overview of the priority area, recommendations for improving practice based on that priority area, and additional resources for further information. Portions of these guidelines are geared for advocates and therapists, while other priority areas are designed for program administrators and policy makers."
Addressing Gender-based Violence: UNFPA Strategy and Framework for Action (pdf)
This report, grounded in UNFPA's overarching goal of eliminating violence against women and girls, identifies particular areas where action is most urgently needed and proposes general policy frameworks for combating gender-based violence.
Advocacy Beyond Leaving: Helping Battered Women in Contact With Current or Former Partners (pdf)
A guide for domestic violence advocates providing information on improving outreach and responses to domestic violence victims who are in contact with their partners or children’s fathers. This guide addresses how to identify safety strategies, find resources and to know what to say when a victim’s focus and goals are to remain in contact, remain in the relationship or to improve their children’s relationship with their father.
Advocacy Matters: Helping Mothers and Their Children Involved with the Child Protection System (pdf)
This publication gives domestic violence experts the information they need to deal successfully with child protection systems and to help battered mothers whose children have been removed from their care. Advocacy Matters includes general information and tips that help advocates better address the needs of battered mothers and their children.
The handbook consisits of various practical forms which were developed by advocates to evaluate criminal justice services for women in cases of rape, domestic violence and child abuse. It also has theoretical chapters on understanding how criminal justice systems can help and harm women.
Balancing the Harms - Protecting Children
The author addresses the need for change in the child protection system and the current means through which children are removed from the home in domestic violence situations. The page provides a short video clip from the author's work-in-progress which addresses actual cases.
Battered Women and Their Children
Battered Women and Their Children is a website devoted to a professional and scholarly examination of the connections between domestic violence (woman abuse) and child maltreatment (child abuse and neglect).
"The purpose of this study was to learn how CPS can be more responsive to families experiencing domestic violence and child abuse and neglect; learn how domestic violence advocates can be more effective in helping clients to respond to allegations of or actual child abuse and neglect and CPS interventions; explore how community can be more responsive to partner abuse and child abuse and neglect and provide support to families involved with CPS; and experiment with a research design that accomplishes the first step of participatory research and at the same time empowers advocates and survivors."
Battered Women's Reports of Their Partner's and Children's Cruelty to Animals (pdf)
"This research study describes how abuse of pets is a method employed by batterers to control their partners, contributes to the impact on children exposed to violence, and may also be related to batterers' lethality."
Batterer Accountability: Responding to Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence
"This paper outlines the philosophical basis of best practice that is rooted in batterer accountability - and it outlines the consequences to children when programs are not so rooted. The paper goes on to talk about all the things advocates can do to push system change that fully integrates batterer accountability, provides excellent advocacy to victims, supports CPS collaborators and looks at alternative models for dependencies and termination of parent rights."
Beyond Observation: Considerations for Advancing Domestic Violence Practice in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper presents considerations for expanded practice in the Supervised Visitation Grant Program and describes interventions that go beyond observation in the supervised visitation setting."
Bringing the Greenbook to Life: a Resource Guide for Communities (pdf)
"This guide is designed for communities seeking to develop interventions that will improve their responses to families suffering both domestic violence and child maltreatment."
Building Bridges Between Domestic Violence Organizations and Child Protective Services
This paper provides both background information and a framework for collaboration with child protection agencies that will support the work of domestic violence advocates as they try to improve safety for women and their children.
Building Capacity in Child Welfare Systems: Domestic Violence Specialized Positions (pdf)
"The report seeks to assist policymakers and practitioners in developing specialist positions that are tailored to the circumstances of their communities and states. We offer observations about initial expectations for these positions and the evolution of the positions over time. We also set forth composite examples of each of the major types of specialized positions and lay out the components of each, including responsibilities, auspices and settings, competencies, and funding sources. By doing so, we highlight different approaches to improving understanding 2 of domestic violence and strengthening the likelihood of achieving safety for non-offending parents and their children."
Building Safety for Battered Women and Their Children into the Child Protection System (pdf)
This is a report based on three separate consultations by Praxis with communities wanting to explore the use of the Safety and Accountability Audit in child protection cases where there has been a history of domestic violence. This report shows how to use case files and focus groups to locate systemic problems in the handling of these cases. It is a preliminary examination of the problematic practices in working with battered women within a child protection case.
November 1997. This paper is meant to serve as a working document rather than the "last word," and it will be subject to revision as child welfare and domestic violence agencies on the vanguard of creating partnerships learn more about the link between child abuse and domestic violence, and how to best protect both children and their abused mothers. While the suggested practices and policies are by no means exhaustive, it is hoped that setting them out will save agencies from having to "reinvent the wheel," and will, at the same time, motivate them to add additional "spokes."
Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: Statistics and Interventions (pdf)
"This 2008 brief report presents statistical information on maltreatment-related fatalities of children including who are the victims and perpetrators and how communities often respond. "
Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention: Reports from the Field and Ideas for the Future (pdf)
"This report summarizes findings from a PPN project conducted for the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Child Abuse Prevention Program. The project sought to assess the current state of the child abuse and neglect prevention field as well as identify potential future directions for the field in terms of emerging priorities and prevention strategies."
Child Abuse and Neglect: Compendia of Civil and Criminal State Laws
"This compendia list how each state in the U.S. defines child abuse and neglect. The compendia of civil state laws are to help legal and non-legal professionals in the analysis, formulation, and implementation of child protection and child welfare legislation. The Compendia (previously titled State Statutes Elements) contain citations and text of key civil statutes pertaining to child maltreatment, child welfare, and domestic violence. The Compendia are intended as research tools and do not substitute for the official version of any statute."
"Child and Family Service Reviews (CFSRs) evaluate public child welfare systems to determine how well they achieve safety, permanency, and well-being in difficult situations of neglect, physical and sexual abuse, and co-existing domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health issues, poverty, and community violence. This guide can help stakeholders develop effective (Program Improvement Plans) PIPs for achieving safety, permanency, and well-being in domestic violence cases, and to identify or anticipate related technical assistance needs."
A surprising number of battered women lose custody of their children to their abusive partners. This document describes some of the legal and cultural trends surrounding custody and visitation decisions and the social science evidence supporting a need to consider domestic violence in these decisions.
Describes major legal and social trends surrounding custody and visitation decisions and the social science evidence supporting the need to consider domestic violence. Recommendations for custody and visitation decisions are explored.
"Describes major legal and social trends surrounding custody and visitation decisions and the social science evidence supporting the need to consider domestic violence. Recommendations for custody and visitation decisions are explored."
The purpose of this study was to further the general understanding of what child custody evaluators and other professionals believe regarding allegations of domestic abuse made by parents going through a divorce. The two major methodological components of the study included quantitative surveys filled out by professionals who had experience with custody cases and qualitative interviews with domestic abuse survivors who had lost child custody or experienced a similar negative outcome during family court proceedings.
Child Maltreatment 2006 Report (pdf)
"The latest Child Maltreatment annual report reports statistical data from the states on reports of maltreatment, characteristics of the children involved and their perpetrators, fatalities tied to maltreatment, and services provided to prevent maltreatment or to address the consequences of maltreatment."
Child Protection Information Sheets (pdf)
"This booklet comprises 14 information sheets which highlight how child protection is crucial to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Covering different forms of abuse, these sheets also outline how to build a protective environment for children and what UNICEF is doing on the ground to protect children."
Child Protective Services for Children of Battered Women: Practice and Controversy
1995. A look at the difficulties that child protection workers face when trying to make a situation safe for children who witness woman abuse.
Child Support Protocol: A Guide for Integrated Domestic Violence Courts (pdf)
A best practices guide for legal professionals who oversee integrated domestic violence court cases involving child custody issues.
Child Welfare Practices for Cases with Domestic Violence (pdf)
This is the third edition of Child Welfare Practice for Cases with Domestic Violence, developed as part of an overall effort to increase the safety of adults and children through collaboration of domestic violence services and child protective services.
Child Welfare: Health & Human Services
This website provides a number of documents and related resources, particlarly for child welfare workers. Training resources and interventions are provided as well.
"Abuse studies from the author’s laboratory, studies of children in orphanages who lacked emotional contact, and a large number of animal deprivation and enrichment studies point to the need for children and young nonhuman mammals to have both stable emotional attachments with and touch from primary adult caregivers, and spontaneous interactions with peers. If these connections are lacking, brain development both of caring behavior and cognitive capacities is damaged in a lasting fashion. The effects of the childhood environment, favorable or unfavorable, interact with all the processes of neurodevelopment."
Childhood Sex Abuse Increases Risk for Drug Dependence in Adult Women
"The article briefly discusses the data results gathered from interviews of women revealing that those who experienced any type of sexual abuse in their childhood were roughly three times more likely than unabused girls to report drug dependence as adults."
Children's Domestic Violence Assessment Tool (pdf)
"The purpose of this tool is to help assess safety, risk, strengths and needs. It may be used to assist in decision making and service planning during any stage of the CPS case (assessment through case planning and case management) in conjunction with required Structured Decision Making Tools. The tool is designed for use with the child(ren) in CPS cases involving domestic violence."
Children, Young People and Domestic Violence (pdf)
The author explores "the ways in which children and young people experience domestic violence," as well as the impact it has on child development and the response by professionals and the child protection system is also reviewed.
Chinese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Chinese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Collaborating for Family Safety: Results From the Greenbook Multisite Evaluation
"This special issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence features results from a multisite developmental evaluation of best practices at the intersection of child maltreatment and adult domestic violence."
"Two studies were conducted to identify the incidence (Study 1) and characteristics (Study 2) of juvenile prostitution cases known to law enforcement agencies in the United States. Findings indicate law enforcement responses to juvenile prostitution are influential in determining whether such youth are viewed as victims of commercial sexual exploitation or as delinquents."
Crafting the Greenbook: Framers Reflect on the Vision, Process, and Lessons Learned
"As part of the evaluation of the Greenbook initiative, the evaluation team asked the national experts who helped frame the Greenbook to reflect on the processes used and the decisions that shaped the document. In addition, the experts were asked to describe their expectations for the systems and communities that implemented the recommendations, including anticipated challenges."
This publication provides information about the use of cross-system dialogue to facilitate communication among representatives working in the domestic violence, child welfare, and court system. Strategies for professionals responding to family violence and child maltreatment are also provided.
The crosssystem dialogue is an approach that promotes and helps to facilitate communication among representatives working in the domestic violence, child welfare, and court system. It provides a formal structure to address conflict in a productive manner.
This article addresses the likely and realistic outcome regarding custodial care decisions during divorce battles. It would seem apparent that the parent responsible for inflicting abuse upon their child is often the one to receive unsupervised visitation rights and often even full legal custody as well.
Danger Zone: Battered Mothers and Their Families in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
"This paper outlines research conducted at a supervised visitation center specifically for serving families where domestic violence was the primary reason for referral. The authors have classified their experiences based on these main subjects: battered women in supervised visitation, how battering continues during supervised visitation, how the rules of the supervised visitation center evolved during the first 18 months of implementation, the importance of well-trained visit monitors, and the need to include supervised visitation centers within a larger context of coordinated community responses to domestic violence."
Developmental Repair: A Training Manual (pdf)
Washburn Center for Children has recently completed a training manual on Developmental Repair – the treatment framework that has been developed and implemented in their Day Treatment Program under the clinical leadership of Anne Gearity PhD, LICSW. It is an intensive treatment model for working with young children who have experienced complex trauma and present with aggressive and disruptive symptoms.
Developmental Status and Early Intervention Service Needs of Maltreated Children (pdf)
"In this report, published by the Institute for Social and Economic Development, the authors analyze findings from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study and the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. They provide information about the developmental status and early intervention service needs of children under age three who are substantiated for maltreatment. Topics include: 1) the extent to which maltreated children have developmental problems or are subject to factors associated with poor developmental outcomes; 2) the services maltreated children might be eligible for and ones they receive through the child welfare systems; 3) case characteristics, such as child welfare setting, that impact the effect of developmental services; and 4) existing barriers to services."
Did You Know Your Relationship Affects Your Health? (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
Did You Know Your Relationship Affects Your Health? (Spanish) (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls (pdf)
"UNICEF's report discusses the scope and magnitude of the problem, causes and consequences of domestic violence, the socio-economic costs of violence, strategies and interventions, and state obligations with regard to domestic violence."
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls
"Highlights issues of abuse; femicide; forced prostitution; sexual abuse of children; sex-selective abortion, female infanticide and differential access to food and medical care; and, traditional and cultural practices that affect women's health and lives."
Domestic Violence and Child Welfare Services
Statistics and links to helpful resources and information related to child welfare and domestic violence are provided in this document.
Domestic Violence and Children: Creating a Public Response (pdf)
The authors of this paper address children's exposure to domestic violence as a factor in healthy development. Research findings suggest that children who witness domestic violence are often unnoticed and underserved by other agencies in the community. Principles serving as a guiding framework for policy and service are outlined, as well as recommendations for communities and governmental bodies to help children experiencing domestic violence.
Domestic Violence as a Form of Child Abuse: Identification and Prevention
By looking at the ways child exposure to domestic violence manifests itself during the various stages of a child's life, the author documents ways to identify problems in exposed children and discusses specific intervention strategies.
Domestic violence laws in Australia (pdf)
The report analyzes domestic violence legislation in all Australian States and Territories and in New Zealand in order to assist the Australian Government’s National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children. The report notes gaps and overlaps between State and Territory domestic violence protection orders and the Family Law Act 1975.
Domestic Violence Programs and Children's Records: Issues of Confidentiality and Release (pdf)
Preserving confidentiality for battered women and their children is central to ensuring their safety and allowing them to regain and retain control over their lives. The vital services of a shelter or domestic violence program mean nothing if anyone can access their records, putting battered women and their children in danger of being located. This paper endeavors to provide guidance to domestic violence programs regarding children's records and to serve as a starting place for internal policy development on this issue.
Domestic Violence, Visitations and Custody Decisions in New York Family Courts (pdf)
The study reported here was designed to examine the extent to which visitation or custody was sought and granted in cases involving domestic violence, through a review of Family Court records in New York City.
This is part of a series that was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part VI discusses actual and perceived conflicts of interest when service providers act in more than one role or relationship, providing recommendations on how to address these dilemmas/questions.
Eliminating Violence against Children (pdf)
"Jointly produced by UNICEF and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, this handbook describes measures parliamentarians can take to end violence against children: they can legislate, oversee government activities, allocate financial resources and, as leaders in their nations and communities, raise awareness of issues."
Emerging issues in domestic/family violence research (pdf)
"This paper presents an overview of the key emerging issues in Australian domestic and family violence research in the context of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities; the elderly; those with disabilities; people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Indigenous communities; homelessness; the impact on children; and issues around perpetrator programs."
In July 2009, the Australian Federal Government announced funding for a pilot program to provide assistance to parents, including family dispute resolution (FDR), to manage post separation parenting disputes where there has been a history of violence. Subsequently, a model for coordinated family dispute resolution (CFDR) was created for use in the pilot. The process is applied in a multi-agency, multidisciplinary setting and it aims to provide a safe, non-adversarial and child-sensitive means for parents to sort out their post separation parenting disputes.
Fact Sheet: The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children (pdf)
"Addresses the impact of domestic violence on children and the likelihood that men who abuse their partners will also abuse their children. Lists statistics that reflect the most recent research concerning the effects of domestic violence on children."
Family Court Statistics: an overview of Family Court Statistics in New Zealand 2004 to 2008
This bulletin analyzes, between 2004 and 2008, the four main areas that come under the jurisdiction of the Family Court in New Zealand, including family violence and child protection.
Family Team Conferences in Domestic Violence Cases: Guidelines for Practice (2nd Edition) (pdf)
These guidelines lay out steps to decide whether a family with a history of domestic violence is a good candidate for a Family Team Conference, and to prepare and conduct a conference that results in the best possible child welfare decision and safety for all. Case scenarios offer examples of different circumstances involving domestic violence and describe how an FTC, if planned and structured properly, can safely address case goals.
Fathering After Violence: Working with Abusive Fathers in Supervised Visitation (pdf)
This guide is intended to assist the grantees of the Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program that want to enhance the safety and well-being of women and children by working more deliberately with abusive fathers who use the centers to visit their children.
This report summarizes the dialogues from the Women of Color Network (WOCN) focus groups on domestic violence and child welfare. Over one hundred (100) domestic violence and sexual assault activists of color participated in these focus groups. The report includes a set of recommendations and highlights from their conversations regarding issues and barriers for battered women with children from communities of color.
Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-4) (pdf)
"The NIS is a congressionally mandated, periodic research effort to assess the incidence of child abuse and neglect in the United States. The NIS gathers information from multiple sources to estimate the number of children who are abused or neglected, providing information about the nature and severity of the maltreatment, the characteristics of the children, perpetrators, and families, and the extent of changes in the incidence or distribution of child maltreatment since the time of the last national incidence study."
The guidelines describe model policies, practices, programs, and protocols that address the multiple needs of families and children affected by domestic violence and child maltreatment. They are based on recommendations contained in the Greenbook and on the thoughtful recommendations provided by public child welfare agency directors, domestic violence advocates, child advocates, and legal representatives.
Guidelines for Responding to the Co-occurrence of Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence (pdf)
The purpose of these Guidelines is to provide direction to child protection staff when responding to situations in which child maltreatment and domestic violence are both occurring.
Guiding Principles for Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program (pdf)
"This document was designed to guide the development and administration of Supervised Visitation Program centers with an eye toward addressing the needs of child(ren) and adult victims of domestic violence in visitation and exchange settings. The Guiding Principles look beyond the visitation setting to address how communities funded under the Supervised Visitation Program should address domestic violence in the larger community."
Healing the Invisible Wounds: Children's Exposure to Violence A Guide for Families (pdf)
"This booklet helps parents and other caregivers understand the potential impact of exposure to violence on the development of their children, and provides practical suggestions for supporting the healing process."
Health Care Costs Associated with Violence in Pennsylvania (pdf)
"Reports the impact of violence in Pennsylvania including interpersonal violence (homicide, aggravated assault, rape) domestic violence (partner, child and elder abuse) and self-directed violence (suicide and attempted suicide)."
Healthy Development: A Summit on Children’s Mental Health (pdf)
"This report was compiled from a 2009 Summit that brought together a comprehensive group of stakeholders in child and family mental health with the goal of promoting children’s mental health. The report addresses issues such as the prevalence of children’s mental health, gaps in service, current research and public perceptions of mental health, and provides recommendations."
Healthy Marriage and the Legacy of Child Maltreatment: A Child Welfare Perspective (pdf)
"This brief explores how childhood experiences, specifically child maltreatment and involvement with the child welfare system, impact the potential for a healthy, lasting marriage. The author also offers recommendations for addressing the unique needs of couples in which one or both partners have experienced childhood maltreatment."
Helping Traumatized Children at School
A paper that discusses school interventions for traumatized children. It provides some of the guidelines and resources for use when youth's traumas affect their ability to function at school.
Helping Traumatized Children: Tips for Judges (pdf)
"This fact sheet for judges and other court personnel outlines the impact of trauma on children's development, beliefs, and behaviors. It is designed to help professionals in the juvenile justice and family court system become more effective in addressing the unique needs and challenges of the traumatized children and adolescents they work with."
"The authors review the literature on resilience following childhood maltreatment and describe how variation in the measurement of outcomes at various developmental stages affects research findings, practice implications, and policy recommendations."
This is a briefing paper prepared for a Wingspread Conference of a similar title. It discusses family violence, specifically against women and children, barriers to helping the victims, and the importance of collaboration to effect change.
Information Sharing in Collaborative Relationship: Domestic Violence and Child Protection (pdf)
This series was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part III provides general guidance and possibilities for policy development regarding information sharing between systems and presents avenues for effective inquiry where these issues intersect.
Interpersonal violence and alcohol (pdf)
This report by the World Health Organization presents research on the relation between alcohol and violence. It suggests that alcohol is a situational determinant which increases the risk of most types of violence. Hazardous and harmful use of alcohol has also been shown to be an important consequence of experiencing or witnessing most forms of violence, but especially child maltreatment and intimate partner violence.
Intersection of Child Abuse and Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence
"This review addresses research on the overlap in physical child abuse and domestic violence, the prediction of child outcomes, and resilience in children exposed to family violence."
Keeping Children Safe When Parents Are Arrested: Local Approaches That Work (pdf)
This report presents protocols developed by four California communities that coordinated responses between child welfare services and law enforcement when parents are arrested. The report found that there were decreased trauma rates in the communities, fewer children taken into custody by child protective services, and increased positive interaction between parents, communities, and law enforcement.
Korean Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Korean translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
This document introduces voices of battered immigrant, refugee and indegenious women who were also involved in Child Protection Services. The document explores how community approach can enhance the physical, spiritual and mental health of individuals, families and communities and how this concept can be well utilized for policy and practice for social services.
"This report from the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention provides and overview of a range of prevention strategies that have been found to have some evidence of being able to preventing child abuse and neglect. "
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect: State Statutes and Professional Ethics (pdf)
A comprehensive listing of state statutes on mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect. Also included is a listing of reporting requirements and code of ethics for professionals in various fields.
Model Protocol for Advocates Working with Battered Women Involved in the Child Protection System
This protocol includes policy and practice recommendations for advocates who work with battered women involved in the child protection system.
Mothers and Children: Understanding the Links Between Woman Battering and Child Abuse
This is a briefing paper for a strategic planning meeting on the Violence Against Women Act. "This paper focuses on an important gap in our current understandings of family violence: the link between woman battering and child abuse. It is surprising that after so many years of public attention it is only in recent years that a discussion of this link has begun to appear in the literature. At present, there is much more we need to know about the overlap between woman and child abuse."
Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Handling Cases of Forced Marriage (pdf)
"This report lists warning signs and appropriate actions for teachers and other school employees to take when they suspect a forced marriage of a child is imminent. The report also contains guidelines for police officers, health care professionals, and social workers, and provides general information on good practices when caring for victims of forced marriage."
This series was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part V describes the structure and purpose of child protection teams, provides guiding questions for domestic violence advocate members of such teams and highlights recommendations.
Not Enough: What TANF Offers Family Violence Victims (pdf)
Based on a national survey of service providers, this report is a comprehensive effort to understand when TANF successfully assists victims of family violence, and when the program falls short.
Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation: Research Reviews (pdf)
This VAWnet document provides a historical and research overview of Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation, identifies strategic issues for advocates working with victims, and offers guidelines to improve courts’ treatment of these issues.
"This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and surveys. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in poverty and how it relates to ending violence against women."
Pregnancy and Domestic Violence: A Review of the Literature (pdf)
Pregnancy-related violence is a serious public health issue. Although there is a growing body of research on this subject, there are still many unanswered questions regarding the prevalence of this type of victimization, the risk factors, and the consequences. The purpose of this literature review is to organize and synthesize the interdisciplinary empirical research on pregnancy-related violence and to provide direction for both researchers and practitioners for future work in this area.
Prevalence and Effects of Child Exposure to Domestic Violence (pdf)
A review of the problems associated with making valid and reliable estimates concerning the prevalence of child exposure to domestic violence in included in this document. Additionally, the impact of such exposure is discussed and the document ends with a discussion surrounding the need for more empirical research in order to effectively intervene with exposed children.
Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)
This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.
Promising Approaches: Working with Families, Child Welfare and Domestic Violence (pdf)
The purpose of this brochure is to provide a framework for mandated reporters to create family centered approaches when domestic violence is identified and to offer guidelines to assist mandated reporters to assess accurately and sympathetically, the impact of domestic violence on children and their families.
Promoting Court Capacity to Improve Outcomes for Abused and Neglected Children (pdf)
"Written for the National Conference of State Legislators, this report outlines strategies for elected officials to raise public awareness of the court’s role in the lives of vulnerable children and families, and strengthen the collaboration between courts and the child welfare system."
This 145 page article is a comprehensive review and critical discussion about the laws and child protection responses that have shown to be effective.
Punjabi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Punjabi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Realizing the Promise of Home Visitation: Addressing Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment (pdf)
"This guide is intended to help policy makers and advocates build a strong national policy framework to maximize the effectiveness and reach of early childhood home visiting programs. It is intended to ensure that federal home visiting policies directly address: the needs of mothers and children who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing domestic violence, the link between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect, and the impact of domestic violence on the health and well-being of children and families."
Reasonable Efforts Checklist for Dependency Cases Involving Domestic Violence (pdf)
"This checklist includes easy reference bench cards for judges to consult during removal, adjudication, disposition, review, permanency, and termination hearings involving domestic violence. It is designed to aid judges in making reasonable efforts findings that are required by federal law in dependency cases involving domestic violence."
Reasonable Efforts or Unrealistic Expectations: A Look at Hennepin County Child Protection Cases (pdf)
"The purpose of this report is to identify ways in which Hennepin County could provide greater support for families throughout the Children in Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS) process and improve the systems in which judges, social workers, and guardians ad litem (GAL) are operating."
Reflections from the Field: Considerations for Domestic Violence Specialists (pdf)
"Domestic violence and child protection professionals from multiple states came together to discuss the complexity of systems-change work and the continued need for a social justice framework to guide these efforts. This document is a compilation of their stories and insights as people who have worked as or supported domestic violence specialists dedicated to helping families experiencing the co-occurrence of domestic violence and child maltreatment."
This document, comprised of research from many leading experts in the field of domestic violence, lays out the case that the majority of high conflict child custody disputes have a history of domestic violence.
Responding to the Co-occurrence of Child Maltreatment and Adult Domestic Violence in Hennepin County
In this report, Drs. Edleson and Beeman and their research assistants detail information collected from a variety of sources during the first half of 1999. Information collection included detailed reporting by child protection screeners and investigators in the Hennepin County Department of Children and Family Services (HCDCFS), consulting with national experts in this area, reviewing published materials on prominent demonstration projects from around the United States and Canada, and holding a series of stakeholder meetings throughout Hennepin County.
A blog developed by David Mandel & Associates, LLC in which they will be exploring the ideas underpinning the Safe and Together model. The model provides a practical and concrete approach to improving the response of child welfare to the risk and safety concerns presented by batterers. They will be providing practical tips and ideas for policy and practice. All are welcome to participate in the discussion.
The Connecticut Department of Social Services, in collaboration with state and community partners, contracted with David Mandel and Associates to develop a model approach for fatherhood programming to address the intersection of domestic violence and fatherhood. This report aims to articulate this model approach, referred to as the Safe Engagement Model.
Safe Start Promising Approaches Communities: Working Together to Help Children Exposed to Violence (pdf)
Launched by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention(OJJDP) and its Federal partners in the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services, the initiative is designed as a national framework which seeks to address the needs of children exposed to violence. This booklet describes each of the 15 Safe Start Promising Approaches communities and outlines how these programs are integrating evidence-based or promising practices as well as other complementary interventions within their geographical, agency, and community contexts.
Screening and Assessment Tools for Child Welfare
Offers an alphabetical listing of screening and assessment tools for child welfare. These tools can be used by workers directly with families, building a common understanding regarding the family's needs, strengths, and resources, and that can be used to measure progress on goals over time.
Sharwline Nicholson v. Nicholas Scoppetta - Appeals Decision
This document outlines the Appeals decision regarding the case of Nicholson (filed as a class action in federal court in 2001). This history of this decision is based on the class action lawsuit in which battered mothers and their children in New York City successfully challenged the City child welfare agency's practice and policy of removing children from battered mothers and charging the mothers with child neglect due to domestic violence. The federal court ruled that the practice is unconstitutional under federal law. The case went up on appeal.
Shattered Hearts: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of American Indian Women and Girls in Minnesota (pdf)
A groundbreaking report released by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) highlights the alarming and pervasive sex trafficking of American Indian women and girls in Minnesota. The first comprehensive report of its kind, it highlights risk factors for victims that include poverty, a disproportionate number of American Indian homeless, high incidences of overall sexual assault, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and pervasive multi-generational trauma.
Should Childhood Exposure to Adult Domestic Violence Be Defined as Child Maltreatment Under the Law?
Published as a chapter in Protecting Children From Domestic Violence: Strategies for Community Intervention (2004), this article reviews the research on childhood exposure to domestic violence and emerging laws aimed at protecting these children. The author concludes with an argument against assuming that childhood exposure to violence is automatically a form of child maltreatment and suggests the need to modify child protection services and the expansion of primarily voluntary community-based responses to these children and their families.
Social Worker's Practice Guide to Domestic Violence (pdf)
A guide created by the Department of Social and Health Services, for social workers working with domestic violence issues in the state of Washington. Includes information on how social workers should work with victims and perpetrators, child assessment of exposure to violence, as well as legal and policy issues in the state.
Strategies to Improve Supervised Visitation Services in Domestic Violence Cases
This Violence Against Women Online Resources commissioned document describes the evolution of supervised visitation services for domestic violence cases, notes legal trends in these cases, describes practice concerns, and presents strategies to improve the safety of participants when supervised visitation, due to domestic violence, is court-ordered.
Supervised Visitation Programs: Information for Mothers Who Have Experienced Abuse (pdf)
"This guide was created for mothers who have experienced abuse and whose children are involved in supervised visitation programs. The guide provides information about how the programs work and how mothers can prepare themselves and their children for the experience."
Supervised Visitation: Information for Mothers Who Have Been Abused (pdf)
"This Guide should be given directly to mothers who have experienced abuse and whose children are in supervised visitation programs. It will tell mothers basic information about how supervised visitation programs work and how she can prepare herself and her children for the experience. If she is afraid of her children’s father or was abused by him, then the information in this Guide will be particularly helpful to her."
Tagalog Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Tagalog translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
"This free advanced domestic violence curriculum outlines safely preparing for and managing effective meetings, engaging parents around domestic violence issues, assessing the impact of children’s exposure to domestic violence, and making decisions and plans to increase safety for children and battered mothers."
Technology Safety & Advocacy Special Collection
This special collection includes a categorized and annotated listing of selected articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and other materials regarding the use of technology as it impacts and intersects with violence against women and children. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in the safe use of technology.
This is a Canadian study, the objective of which was to examine the child welfare system’s response to child maltreatment investigations substantiated for exposure to domestic violence (EDV). The study is based on a secondary analysis of data collected in the 2003 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect.
This document displays the results of a comparative overview of the child welfare response within Canadian boundaries to child exposure to domestic violence. Implications for policy are discussed.
The Epidemiology of Trauma and Trauma-Related Disorders in Children and Youth (pdf)
"This publication reviews general population studies, disaster research, child maltreatment studies, and special population studies that report the prevalence of PTSD in children, adolescents, and young adults. It includes a brief discussion of the cumulative adverse effects of traumatic stress experienced from infancy through adolescence."
The Facts on Health Care & Domestic Violence (pdf)
"Statistics on domestic violence incidents highlighting health consequences to the victim, children's health issues, hospital and other health service costs, identification and screening practices in health care settings, and domestic violence during and after pregnancy."
The Future of the Grave Risk Of Harm Defense in Hague Cases
This article discusses the future of the grave risk of harm defense in Hague Convention international child abduction cases. It provides an interpretation of the Hague Convention in the traditional view as well as in the context of domestic violence. Examples of court rulings are provided which evaluated the nature of abuse and the likelihood of legal protection in the country to which the children are being returned.
The Greenbook Initiative Final Evaluation Report (pdf)
"The Greenbook national evaluation results are presented in three reports. The Greenbook Demonstration Initiative: Process Evaluation Report: Phase 1 focused on the planning and goal setting phase of the Greenbook initiative in the sites. This final evaluation report assesses the extent to which the Greenbook implementation activities facilitated cross-system and within system change and practice in the child welfare agencies, dependency courts, and domestic violence service providers."
A team of Minnesota judges, attorneys, advocates and social scientists created this Bench Guide for judges who are hearing Hague Convention cases involving allegations of domestic violence. The case law in the guide is focused on the District of Minnesota, but help is available for other areas of the country who would like to adapt it.
The project seeks to increase the identification of violence against women in international parental child abduction cases processed in U.S. Courts. That identification will allow the American legal community to help protect battered mothers and their children as they cross international borders to safety in the United States. Specifically, this Web site provides information and resources for individuals, attorneys and non-lawyers who litigate or participate in cases involving the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction where domestic violence is an issue.
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Origin and True Purpose of the Paddle (pdf)
In this article, the authors explain the origins of paddling in a historical context of slavery, as well as the psychological effects of using corporal punishment on children.
The Overlap Between Child Maltreatment and Woman Abuse
Reviews over 35 studies on the overlap between child maltreatment and woman battering in the same families. This paper has now been published in Violence Against Women, 1999, 5(2), pp. 134-154 and is no longer available on this site. This link, however, goes to a brief VAWnet paper on the topic.
The prevalence of child abuse and neglect
"A resource sheet that summarizes the current knowledge about the prevalence of child abuse and neglect in Australia. It provides an overview of Australian studies that have estimated the prevalence of the different forms of child maltreatment."
The Psychological Maltreatment of Children -Technical Report (2002)
"Psychological maltreatment is a common consequence of physical and sexual abuse but also may occur as a distinct entity. Until recently, there has been controversy regarding the definition and consequences of psychological maltreatment. Sufficient research and consensus now exist about the incidence, definition, risk factors, and consequences of psychological maltreatment."
The Relationship Between Domestic Violence and Child Abuse (pdf)
"Cites surveys and reports published between 1987 and 1996, briefly describing: what is domestic violence; what is child abuse; how does domestic violence affect children; and similarities/correlations between domestic violence and/or child abuse."
The framework of the Safe and Together model provides a methodology for improving child welfare competencies and cross system collaboration between child welfare and its community partners.
The Safe Start Center Series on Children Exposed to Violence: Pediatric Care Settings (pdf)
This issue brief translates emerging research and program practice into action steps for practitioners in pediatric care settings to design and implement programs that meet the needs of children who are exposed to violence.
The State of the World's Children 2009 Report
"The State of the World's Children 2009 examines critical issues in maternal and newborn health, underscoring the need to establish a comprehensive continuum of care for mothers, newborns and children. The report outlines the latest paradigms in health programming and policies for mothers and newborns, and explores policies, programmes and partnerships aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health. Africa and Asia are a key focus for this report, which complements the previous year's issue on child survival."
The Unclaimed Children Revisited, California Case Study (pdf)
"The purpose of the California Case Study is to identify, document, and analyze effective fiscal, infrastructural, and related policies that support research-informed practices for mental health services to children and adolescents in California."
The Use of Expert Testimony on Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"This Applied Research paper presents an overview of the uses of expert testimony, the qualifications and roles of experts, the literature on the use of testimony on the effects of battering, and considerations for future research."
Training Child Welfare Workers on Domestic Violence
Final Report, June 1998. In October of 1995, the Columbia University School of Social Work (CUSSW) was awarded funds to train public child welfare workers to understand and intervene appropriately with families where there was concurrent child abuse or neglect and woman abuse. This objective was accomplished by designing, implementing, and evaluating a competency-based training curriculum on domestic violence for direct service workers in the New York City Administrationm for Children's Services (ACS). The training curriculum was designed to impact worker's attitudes toward domestic violence, provide them with knowledge and skills for assessing domestic violence, and enhance their practice with families in which there is woman abuse. This paper is the final report CUSSW's project.
Trauma Informed Care Resources for Children Exposed to Violence
Exposure to violence at home, in the form of child abuse and neglect, or in the community, whether at school or in the neighborhood, can affect young people in profound ways. This resource provides information on children's exposure to violence for parents and other caregivers, as well as for teachers and other agencies and staff who may work with these youth. Information includes warning signs of exposure to violence and what you can do to intervene.
UN study on Violence Against Children
"A press release on a new effort to provide a detailed global picture of the nature, extent and causes of violence against children, and propose clear recommendations for action to prevent and reduce such violence. The study focuses on violence against children in five settings: the home and family, schools and educational settings, other institutional settings (orphanages, children in conflict with the law), the community and on the streets, and work situations. "
Understanding and Protecting Your Children from Child Molesters and Predators
"This packet provides information about child molesters and some of the things you, your family and community can do to help keep children safe."
Understanding Children’s Exposure to Violence (pdf)
The Safe Start Center has developed a series of briefs on Children Exposed to Violence. The briefs are developed to respond to an urgent need to translate research-based information and disseminate it to practitioners who can use it in their work with children and families in different settings. This particular brief describes core concepts—gleaned from research and program practice—used in designing and implementing programs that address children’s exposure to violence.
"The intent of this protocol is to assist law enforcement officers in their response to children at the scene of domestic violence incidents. In addition, the protocol outlines an effective response which includes: assessing whether children have been physically harmed, minimizing the impact and repercussions to children who are present, empowering children as much as possible in the process, maintaining victim safety, and maintaining batterer accountability."
Violence in Families: Assessing Prevention and Treatment Programs
This is a full-text online book made available courtesy of The National Academies Press. This important book, published in 1998, details out chapter by chapter the different types of interventions to be utilized by different types of professionals, as well as makes recommendations.
Violence in the Lives of Children (pdf)
"This data brief from Child Trends reviews data on the types of violence experienced by U.S. children, including exposure to violence through media to abuse by parents and peers. Differences by age, gender, and race/ethnicity are discussed along with priorities for filling gaps in the data that is available on this topic."
What Is Trauma and Why Is It Important?
This is the first issue in a series focusing on trauma and child welfare systems. This issue defines trauma and describes its significance. Successive issues will highlight childhood trauma in the context of culture and identify ways in which child welfare systems can best respond to children.
When Battered Women Stay... Advocacy Beyond Leaving
"This paper raises the key issues, questions, and dilemmas regarding advocacy with battered women who stay in their relationships. It discusses the limitations of safety strategies for leaving, and frames the issues central to the expansion of advocacy beyond leaving, including: 1) safety planning and advocacy with victims who stay; 2) ending violent and controlling behavior; and 3) knowing what children need to be OK."
When Children Experience Domestic Violence: Expert Opinion
This document includes a summary of a ruling made by a New York Judge to stop removing children from battered women because children of such women are exposed to domestic violence.
Working with Children Towards a Healthy & Non-Violent Future
"This Special Collection provides a unique perspective on working with children (younger than 13 years of age), focusing on theories and strategies for raising respectful, non-violent people. Resources included here discuss child development and how to utilize this knowledge when implementing primary prevention strategies that foster healthy attitudes and behaviors"
Class/Race/Ethnicity
"This report provides an analysis of patterns of human rights abuses against women who are exposed to the risk of or are already living with HIV in rural contexts of widespread poverty and unemployment."
(Un)heard Voices: Domestic Violence in the Asian American Community (pdf)
This publication is based on the results of a focus group with Asian immigrant women and Asian American women from different backgrounds. Various questions and issues are addressed such as identifying victims and perpetrators, prevalence of domestic violence in Asian communities, barriers confronting Asian women and more. The report also gives recommendations to service providers and a national list of organizations committed to serving battered Asian women.
A Comparison of Domestic Violence Advocacy Models (pdf)
This document contains a chart comparing domestic violence advocacy models and serves as a reference for effective advocacy for Latinas.
OCDV and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene developed a training and reference guide for healthcare providers as part of a campaign to reduce cultural, linguistic and systemic barriers preventing domestic violence victims, particularly immigrant women and women of color, from reporting abuse to their healthcare providers.
This report offers an analysis and recommendations to address the impact of domestic violence and child welfare systems in communities of color. Six culture-specific organizations were partnered with to create a multi-dimensional analysis for this report. The Dialogues section offers analysis and describes some of the common findings and issues, while the Recommendations section addresses these issues. Thus, critiques and system changes go hand in hand, and are offered in the spirit of constructive engagement and strengthening communities
Adaptation Guidelines for Serving Latino Children and Families Affected by Trauma (pdf)
"This document was created by experts in the fields of child trauma research, clinical practice, policy and cultural diversity to serve as a resource for anyone who works with Latino families who have experienced traumatic events. There are 12 priority areas covered ranging from micro issues (assessment and provision of therapy) to macro issues (organizational competence and policy). Each one includes an overview of the priority area, recommendations for improving practice based on that priority area, and additional resources for further information. Portions of these guidelines are geared for advocates and therapists, while other priority areas are designed for program administrators and policy makers."
Additional Scripts for Clinic Assessment (pdf)
This document is created for healthcare professionals and provides a series of scripted questions and responses when working with victims of violence. The information is intended to help communicate all the information needed to give to a patient as well as responding to immediate safety issues and making referrals.
An Islamic Perspective on Violence Against Women
This is a statement describing how those who perpetrate violence against women are not following the true tenants of the Quran.
Baseline Survey on Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Rwanda (pdf)
"This study was conducted to shed light on the magnitude of sexual and gender-based violence in Rwanda, and to determine and analyze the perceptions that communities have about the nature, causes and consequences of incidents of violence. This study also explores the subsequent actions that survivors have taken, and evaluates the role of various stakeholders in preventing and fighting sexual and gender-based violence."
"The purpose of this study was to learn how CPS can be more responsive to families experiencing domestic violence and child abuse and neglect; learn how domestic violence advocates can be more effective in helping clients to respond to allegations of or actual child abuse and neglect and CPS interventions; explore how community can be more responsive to partner abuse and child abuse and neglect and provide support to families involved with CPS; and experiment with a research design that accomplishes the first step of participatory research and at the same time empowers advocates and survivors."
Batterer Intervention Program Enrollment and Completion Among Immigrant Men in Massachusetts (pdf)
"This study describes immigrant clients enrolled in Massachusetts batterer intervention (BI) programs from 2002 to 2004. The study seeks to describe the immigrant men enrolled in Massachusetts BI programs, investigate whether immigrants were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were nonimmigrants, and investigate whether immigrants in non-English, culturally specific groups were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were immigrants in mainstream groups."
Breaking the Links Between Poverty and Violence against Women: A Resource Guide (pdf)
"This resource guide explores the ways in which poverty and violence are linked. It acknowledges the efforts of women’s groups, community organizations and service agencies that support low-income women to take control of and deal with the poverty and violence in their lives. Another area of focus is to inspire community-based groups to take action on poverty and violence issues by providing practical examples of what others are doing."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (pdf)
"A guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in Spanish."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (Spanish) (pdf)
"The first ever guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in English."
Broadening Our Understanding of Violence Against Women Among Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Minorities
This article documents the main discussions that evolved from a workshop. The document explores what is known and unknown about the dynamics of violence experienced by women from diverse communities and how criminal justice and social science providers can better respond to it. The workshop was held in October 2001 and attended by approximately 30 practitioners and researchers, including representatives from the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services.
Building Domestic Violence Health Care Responses in Indian Country: A Promising Practices Report (pdf)
A 2008 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on health and violence found that 39 percent of Native women reported that they were victims of intimate partner violence some time in their lives. To address this problem, the Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) worked with more than 100 Indian, Tribal and Urban health care facilities as well as domestic violence (DV) advocacy programs across the United States to improve the health system response to domestic violence. This report explains how the work they accomplished can be replicated.
Building Domestic Violence Health Care Responses: A Promising Practices Report (pdf)
"A new report that documents dramatic improvements in the health system’s response to domestic violence at Indian, Tribal and Urban health care facilities across the United States. It offers a series of recommendations to continue the progress and ensure that many more American Indian/Alaska Native domestic violence victims get the help that they need when they seek medical care at clinics and hospitals."
California Batterer Intervention Systems Study (pdf)
This study on batterer intervention programs in the state of California encompasses 5 counties, 53 batterer intervention programs that provide client data, and over 1,000 men enrolled in those programs. The study found that the individual characteristics of the offenders, and not the program they were enrolled in nor the features of the specific court they were sentenced in, were the strongest predictors of outcomes.
Casa de Esperanza: Mobilizing Latinas and Latino Communities to End Domestic Violence
This issue of the BCS newsletter features the strengths-based, community engagement approach of Casa de Esperanza, of St. Paul, MN. The main article describes their work of mobilizing Latinas and Latino communities to end domestic violence. Lessons learned are highlighted.
Chinese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Chinese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Colonization and Violence against Women (pdf)
This article was created from the Proceedings from the National Summit on Domestic Violence in Asian and Pacific Islander Communities, which was held in June 2002. The article highlights various myths around the Asian and Pacific Islander cultures and colonization's role, as it relates to violence against women.
Commodifying Honor in Female Sexuality: Honor Killings in Palestine
Discusses honor killings and the history of this practice in Palestine.
Community Corrections Response To Domestic Violence: Guidelines For Practice (pdf)
"This document provides a series of guidelines for community corrections professionals that support a proactive community supervision approach for domestic violence cases. It pulls together in one place for community corrections professionals and allied justice system and community-based services the conceptual information and practical tools to develop or enhance effective programs."
Community Engagement Curriculum Guide (pdf)
This training curriculum is based on a report from the API Institute on Domestic Violence titled "The Community Engagement Continuum: Outreach, Mobilization, Organizing and Accountability to Address Violence Against Women in Asian & Pacific Islander Communities".
Community Insights on Domestic Violence Among African Americans (pdf)
This document examines community perceptions of domestic violence in the lives of African Americans living in the San Francisco/Oakland, California area.
This document explores the attitudes and perceptions of women of color survivors with children. The overarching objective was to hear what women had to say about efforts to engage men and fathers of color as allies in stopping intimate partner violence and restoring health in partnership and parenting. The research was undertaken by the Family Violence Prevention Fund as part of the development of our national violence prevention campaign.
Criminal Victimization, 2008 (pdf)
"The report includes data on violent crimes (rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault), property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching), and the characteristics of victims of these crimes. The report also includes estimates of intimate partner violent crime and use of firearms and other weapons in the commission of violent crime overall."
This report provides an in-depth understanding of domestic violence and as well as the service utilization among eight ethnic minority communities and LGBT populations in King county, Washington.
Culture Handbook for working with those who have experienced sexual or domestic violence (pdf)
"This handbook is designed to be used by advocates and professionals who work with those who are victims of domestic and sexual violence. It provides some basic information on how to understand culture and begin the process of challenging oneself to become more aware of the ways in which culture impacts our work and the lives of those who are victims."
Developing Culturally-Relevant Responses to Domestic Abuse: Asha Family Services, Inc. (pdf)
A model program, Asha Family Services, Inc., is a comprehensive family violence intervention and prevention agency located in Milwaukee, WI. Asha, the first and only recognized culturally-specific family violence intervention and prevention program in Wisconsin, employs methods specific to African American families.
This guide provides best practice guidelines used by organizations to develop linguistically and culturally responsive materials for Latino survivors of domestic violence. The guide also includes a list of Spanish speaking agencies.
Domestic Violence against Women (pdf)
"This briefing kit in Spanish provides concise information on violence against women (VAW) in Latin America and the Caribbean. It consists of fact sheets in easy-to understand language, and is aimed at parliamentarians to help them advance or amend legislation on VAW."
Domestic Violence and Faith Based Communities: Focus on African American Communities
"We know that domestic violence crosses all racial lines and that the root causes are sexism and the acceptance of violence against women in society. However, the dynamics of and contributors to domestic violence are culturally specific. This forum highlights some of the common, complex and culturally specific contributors to violence against African American women. It addresses the role of faith as a resource and a roadblock and offer concrete ways in which faith communities can respond to and support abused women and their children in the African American Community. Hosted by: Aleese Moore-Orbih"
Domestic Violence and Prisoner Reentry: Experiences of African American Women and Men (pdf)
This report examines a significant, understudied facet of domestic violence in America: the distinctive experiences of African American women and their African American male intimate partners when those partners are transitioning from prison into the community. The report provides practitioners and policymakers with a better understanding of the challenges that African Americans face in the confluence of intimate partner violence and prisoner reentry.
These publications are designed to help researchers, students, human rights practitioners, and the general public gain a better understanding of human rights. Specifically, these publications address domestic violence issues affecting women in the countries that are listed.
Domestic Violence in Communities of Color (pdf)
"This "Facts & Stats Collection" paper highlights specific issues and distinguishing dynamics that confront different women of color, including African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American/Alaskan Indian women."
Domestic Violence Information in Asian Languages (pdf)
A list of websites and weblinks containing domestic violence related resources in various Asian and Pacific Islander languages.
Dossier on Domestic Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean
"This publication includes a detailed balance of the work developed in Latin American and the Caribbean to eliminate violence against women. The objective of the publication is to have a tool that will help to design future activities in a more accurate way that take into account the economic, cultural and geographical women's reality of the Region in order to eliminate domestic violence. It also contains guidelines and recommendations for the future work on women’s rights for a life free of violence."
Economic Stress and Domestic Violence
This Applied Research paper provides data on domestic violence rates across social classes, highlights the relationship between economic stress and domestic violence, and explores employment, social support networks, and weaknesses in social services. The paper concludes by discussing strategies that may simultaneously address the intersecting problems of financial distress and DV, including universal screening for DV, responses by employers, and collaboration among social service providers.
Eliminating Barriers to Services for Latina/o Survivors of Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
This is the position statement by Latino advocates to address barriers to services for Latina/o survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence
Emerging issues in domestic/family violence research (pdf)
"This paper presents an overview of the key emerging issues in Australian domestic and family violence research in the context of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities; the elderly; those with disabilities; people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Indigenous communities; homelessness; the impact on children; and issues around perpetrator programs."
Enforcing Domestic Violence Firearm Prohibitions: A Report on Promising Practices (pdf)
"This report highlights promising practices currently employed around the United States and in tribal jurisdictions that represent innovative approaches to enforcing domestic violence firearm prohibitions. It provides brief descriptions of programs that are located primarily in law enforcement agencies, prosecutors’ offices, courts, and probation departments."
Engendering Change: Transforming Gender Roles in Asian & Pacific Islander Communities (pdf)
The introduction begins by providing a description of the societal context in which domestic violence occurs, and leads into a discussion about two batterer intervention programs for Asian men, and concludes with practice implications.
This paper was originally delivered as a talk at the Violence Institute of New Jersey, June 21, 2000. This paper discusses the links between the abuse of women and the maltreatment of their children and the connection between domestic violence and poverty.
Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"Presents findings from the NVAW Survey on the extent, nature, and consequences of IPV in the US. The survey compares victimization rates among women and men, specific racial groups, Hispanics and non-Hispanics, and same-sex and opposite-sex cohabitants. "
Fact Sheet on Domestic Violence in Muslim Communities (pdf)
This four page fact sheet bullet points domestic violence information and statistics from a variety of studies on Muslim communities and Arab populations. Some resources are also provided.
Fact Sheet: Domestic Violence in Filipino Communities (pdf)
A brief fact sheet on the demographics and statistics of domestic violence in Filipino communities that includes a selected list of translated materials and resources in the Tagalog and Ilocano languages.
Fact Sheet: Domestic Violence in Hmong and Laotian Communities (pdf)
This resource provides brief information on the demographics and statistics of domestic violence in Hmong and Laotian Communities in the US. Also provides list of some translated materials and resources.
Fact Sheet: Domestic Violence in Korean Communities (pdf)
A brief fact sheet with information on the demographics and statistics of domestic violence among US Korean communities. Includes selected translated materials.
A brief fact sheet with information on the demographics and statistics of domestic violence among US South Asian communities. Includes selected translated materials and resources.
Facts & Stats: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Homes (pdf)
"Facts & Stats raises awareness about the experiences of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women; counters denial about the problem; emphasizes the need for socio-culturally effective prevention and intervention; and serves to guide future research and inform public policy."
Family Violence Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework (pdf)
Developed by independent experts and Victorian service providers (Canada), the framework includes three practical guides on identifying and assessing family violence, and includes case studies.
Farsi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
Farsi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. It locates a range of abuses and abusers in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration.
Focus Groups of African-American Men: Perspectives on Addressing Domestic Violence
This study is the first step toward a larger, multi-site project that would obtain valuable information about how to help African-American men prevent or eliminate violence in relationships. The purpose of this paper is to identify realistic approaches by which African-American men can confront friends, neighbors, relatives, co-workers or strangers, who are African-American men who batter. What is unique about this study is that African-American men are the key informants.
This report summarizes the dialogues from the Women of Color Network (WOCN) focus groups on domestic violence and child welfare. Over one hundred (100) domestic violence and sexual assault activists of color participated in these focus groups. The report includes a set of recommendations and highlights from their conversations regarding issues and barriers for battered women with children from communities of color.
Fuerza Unida: A Manual For Engaging Communities (pdf)
"This attractive, user-friendly manual is a guide to understanding and working with Latino families experiencing domestic violence. Written primarily for government workers, nonprofit staff members, and other professionals working with Latino clients, it will benefit anyone seeking to relate effectively to our growing Latino communities."
This report is generated from a two-day meeting held in Seattle February 7 – 8, 2004 by an ad-hoc INCITE! Community Accountability in Organizations Working Group. This group specifically gathered to address gender oppression including patriarchical political and work environments, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and sexual assault committed against women/girls/women-identified persons of color within progressive, radical and revolutionary people of color organizations and movement.
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
"This report describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods."
Helping Culturally Diverse Victims of Interpersonal Violence: Avoiding Stereotypes & Meetings Needs
"This forum discusses the need to take people's culture into account when providing them with services for interpersonal violence and avoiding the trap of treating people in a cookie-cutter way, based on stereotypes about their culture. This forum is hosted by Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD. Lisa is a Core Faculty Member in Union Institute & University's Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology and has dedicated almost 20 years to making the social service and mental health systems more responsive to culturally diverse people."
Helping Young Children Affected by Domestic Violence: The Role of Pediatric Health Settiings (pdf)
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses importance of pediatric health care and mental health care in addressing domestic violence.
Linda v. Lyle - A Case Study. Looks at the possibility that some or all high-conflict divorces are actually the manifestation of stalking behaviors by wealthy domestic abusers. Part I compares and contrasts the research on batterers and stalkers to the literature on high-conflict divorce. In Part II, an actual high-conflict case is described. Part III explores the lack of consumer protection. Part IV offers a modest proposal that may discourage protracted Family Court litigation and calls for studies that apply stalking and battering dynamics to high-conflict divorce so stalking by way of Family Court can be quantified and illuminated.
Hispanic Victims of Violent Crime, 1993-2000 (pdf)
"Examines violent crimes committed against Hispanic victims including rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault. Crime victimizations are compared with those of four non-Hispanic groups: whites, blacks, American Indians, and Asians."
Human Rights Dialogue: Violence Against Women (pdf)
This special edition of the magazine explores how women's advocates are challenging the public/private divide, the cultural and religious objections to granting women's rights, and the common blindness to linkages between violence against women and the deprivation of other rights, specifically economic and social rights.
Immigrant and Refugee Power and Control Wheel
Throughout the world, women are victims of domestic violence just as there are battered women in the United States. Immigrant and refugee women know that in their countries of origin, women have been tortured with sexual abuse by the army/rebels, kidnapped into prostitution, forced into marriages, killed in honor killings, used for sexual slavery, stoned to death and often experience other gender related abuses. This Immigrant and Refugee Power and Control Wheel is an adaptation of the Duluth Power and Conrol wheel created by attendees Immigrant & Refugee Women Support Group in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Immigrant Populations as Victims: Toward a Multicultural Criminal Justice System (pdf)
"This report summarizes findings from a study about the criminal justice system's approach to immigrant victims of crime and barriers that prohibit immigrants from reporting crimes."
Immigrant South Asian Women at Greater Risk for Injury From Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"Factors related to immigration may place South Asian immigrant women at increased risk for intimate partner violence. The purpose of the current study was to assess the relations between immigration-related factors and intimate partner violence among a sample of South Asian women residing in the United States."
Immigrant Women and Domestic Violence
This special collection highlights the common experiences of immigrant women who are in abusive relationships, the legal protections and public benefits available, and practices and suggestions for increasing the effectiveness of services provided to immigrant women.
"This Trainer's Manual was developed to help health care providers and domestic violence advocates meet the challenge of training clinicians and other staff within the busy clinic or hospital setting. The Manual provides step-by-step instructions for teaching each section of the Resource Manual including the basics of domestic violence, clinical skills, legal issues, community resources, and role play scenarios. It also includes a special module on cultural diversity."
This report addresses API domestic violence intervention strategies within the U.S. as both accommodations and alternatives to mainstream domestic violence programs. They have adopted mainstream assumptions and approaches. And, they have crafted innovations based upon necessity and, in some cases, vision and intentionality. Emerging themes as discussed by the API women interviewed in this report highlight a number of areas which capture our attention for further exploration. While the findings of this report bring up broad, diverse and, at times, contradictory policies and practices among API programs, existing models, themes and interventions for the future programs are examined.
Intersecting Inequalities: Immigrant Women of Colour, Violence and Health Care (pdf)
This report focuses on racialized immigrant women who have experienced intimate violence and their access to the health care system. The paper reviews current literature and identifies key variables that contribute to immigrant women's vulnerability to violence and lack of access to health care. The response of health care service providers is also examined.
Intimate Partner Violence in China: National Prevalence, Risk Factors and Associated Health Problems
This paper presents the country’s first national estimates of domestic violence. The authors find that sexual jealousy, alcohol consumption, low female contribution to the household income and low socioeconomic status are among a range of factors that make violence more likely.
"This document describes intimate partner violence (IPV) in immigrant and refugee communities in the United States. The report contains four main sections: background information on the incidence of the problem among immigrant and refugee communities, an overview of the needs and challenges of immigrant and refugee IPV victims and service providers, recommendations for funders, service providers and policy-makers, and lastly a discussion of IPV research and evaluation issues to be addressed in immigrant and refugee communities."
Iraq: Insecurity and Violence Against Women
"This document aims to raise awareness about some of the realities facing women in Iraq. The collection focuses more specifically on how current events in Iraq have uniquely impacted Iraqi women and have engendered various forms of violence against women."
Jewish Perspectives in Domestic Violence (word)
"In this paper, the author proposes different ideas relevant to Judaism in regard to domestic violence, offers Jewish precepts and texts, raises current problems for Jewish battered women, describes Jewish programs working to eliminate domestic violence, makes known Jews in the movement/field, cites Jewish Domestic Violence cases, and concludes with Creating Rituals and Blessings."
Korean Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Korean translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Latina Cultural Context and Advocacy (pdf)
This document is designed for advocates working with Latina victims of domestic violence. It is intended to help inform advocates of the cultural contexts through which Latina victims see their world, in order to provide culturally informed services.
Law of Protection from Family Violence in Peru
Discusses domestic violence and the Law of Protection from Family Violence in Peru.
This document introduces voices of battered immigrant, refugee and indegenious women who were also involved in Child Protection Services. The document explores how community approach can enhance the physical, spiritual and mental health of individuals, families and communities and how this concept can be well utilized for policy and practice for social services.
Local Police Enforcement of Immigration Laws and its Effects on Victims of Domestic Violence
This paper warns that local police and prosecutors should be prepared for the predictable reduction in reporting of serious crimes if law enforcement officers chose to expand their duties to include the policing of immigration matters. The author argues roles of local police is not enforcing immigration law in securing safety for victims of domestic violence.
"This report provides extensive research of the mail-order bride industry in the United Kingdom. The industry is linked to the promotion of trafficking, prostitution, pornography and slavery. The report suggests that this industry not only exploits vulnerable groups of women but also reinforces racial and ethnic stereotypes. Recommendations are given on what the government can do to further protect women."
Mexico: Amnesty International Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review
An Amnesty International report submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council in February 2009. The report highlighted problems in the area of violence against women, in particular, the prevalence of domestic violence in Mexico and the femicides in Ciudad Juarez along the U.S.-Mexican border.
This protocol/policy model intends to support domestic violence agencies in the state of Washington to increase and extend the services to immigrant and refugee women whose primary language is not English. However, this information will be relevant to any agency that is a recipient of federal funding.
Model Tribal Domestic Violence Full Faith and Credit Ordinance
A sample document of a tribal domestic violence full faith and credit ordinance.
National Crime Victimization Survey Criminal Victimization, 2007 (pdf)
"Presents estimates of rates and levels of personal and property victimization for 2007 and describes the substantial fluctuations in the survey measures of the crime rates from 2005 through 2007. The report includes data on violent crimes (rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault), property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching), and the characteristics of victims of these crimes."
Originally presented by Susan Schechter as a talk at the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence Statewide Training Institute, March 17, 1997, Harrisburg, PA and revised for the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence Administrative Development Conference, May 8, 1997, Ames, Iowa.
New York City Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee Annual Report 2008 (pdf)
This report describes family-related homicides that occurred in New York City between 2002 and 2007. Includes key findings, risk factors, and action steps in response to findings.
Pakistan: Honor Killings of Girls and Women
January 1999. First Amnesty International report ever to focus on human rights violations not committed by government agents. Reveals that hundreds of women in Pakistan are murdered each year in the name of "honor." Offers recommendations for discouraging "honor killings."
Police in the Lives of Young Children Exposed to Domestic Violence (pdf)
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper explores the important roles the police officer can play in assisting children and families experiencing domestic violence.
Poverty, Welfare and Battered Women: What Does the Research Tell Us?
This paper provides a brief summary of several very recent studies, focusing on the extent and impact of domestic violence among poor women and women on welfare. The overview concludes with implications of this research for the new TANF welfare program.
Preliminary Adaptations for Working with Traumatized Latino/Hispanic Children and Their Families (pdf)
The Culture and Trauma Briefs series serves to
support the NCTSN commitment to raising
the standard of care for traumatized children,
their families, and their communities by
highlighting the diversity of needs and
experiences of those children, families, and
communities.
This report was developed through information gathered via a preliminary focus group of bilingual/bicultural therapists at a children's hospital in California to address the needs of diverse Latino populations seeking care.
Prevalence and Predictors of Physical Partner Abuse Among Mexican American Women (pdf)
"This study determined the lifetime prevalence of physical abuse by a current partner among women of Mexican origin and assessed factors associated with abuse."
Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Regions of Brazil (pdf)
"This article analyzes the results from the 'WHO Multi-country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence,' on the prevalence of intimate partner violence against women in Brazil."
Progress of South Asian Women 2005 (pdf)
"The document presents a snapshot of women's situation in South Asia, an overview of the processes at work promoting the advancement of women, and identifies gaps during the period 2000–2005. Some of the challenges noted are disproportionate returns to contributions, the added "burden of care," a declining sex ratio, increased gender-based violence, trafficking of women and girls, and the spread of HIV/AIDS."
This report examines innovative partnership designed to assist the employment needs of immigrant women who are survivors of domestic violence.
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
Raising Public Awareness on Domestic Violence in Indian Country (pdf)
In collaboration with the South Dakota Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, its member organizations and Native American advocates throughout the state, Cangleska, Inc., the violence against women intervention and shelter program on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, developed domestic violence public awareness materials focusing specifically on rural and Native American communities. Materials included posters, public service announcements used in radio talk shows and an updated version of a domestic violence handbook for Lakota communities.
Reasonable Efforts or Unrealistic Expectations: A Look at Hennepin County Child Protection Cases (pdf)
"The purpose of this report is to identify ways in which Hennepin County could provide greater support for families throughout the Children in Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS) process and improve the systems in which judges, social workers, and guardians ad litem (GAL) are operating."
This paper examines the context of intimate partner violence in Sub-Saharan Africa, outlines the intersections between partner violence and reproductive health, and considers the opportunities for linkage at the program and service levels. In addition, it explores the opportunities and challenges related to developing an active response to domestic violence within reproductive health services in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Scope of the Problem: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Homes (pdf)
This document provides information on the prevalence rates of domestic violence in the API communities, unique dynamics in families, socio-cultural barriers in getting help, and highlights the need for ethnic diversity and culturally competent programs.
Security Begins at Home (pdf)
The Kosova Women’s Network released the country’s first study on domestic violence, called Security Begins at Home. The report highlights key points such as: what the citizens of Kosovo perceive as domestic violence, the forms and consequences of domestic violence, citizens' response to ending it, and the legal and institutional gaps in addressing it.
Seeking Protection: Addressing Sexual and Domestic Violence in Tanzania's Refugee Camps
This report documents how Burundian refugee women confront daily violence in Tanzanian refugee camps.
Sexual Violence against Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Women (pdf)
This document provides guidelines for advocates on various points of intersection of domestic and sexual violence in the API communities.
Shattered Hearts: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of American Indian Women and Girls in Minnesota (pdf)
A groundbreaking report released by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) highlights the alarming and pervasive sex trafficking of American Indian women and girls in Minnesota. The first comprehensive report of its kind, it highlights risk factors for victims that include poverty, a disproportionate number of American Indian homeless, high incidences of overall sexual assault, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and pervasive multi-generational trauma.
Shattered Lives: Homicides, Domestic Violence and Asian Families (pdf)
This report focuses on domestic violence related homicides as a critical issue affecting Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women since 2001. Types of domestic violence related homicides, children as victims, and perpetrator types are discussed. Findings and recommendations are also provided.
Silence is Violence: End the Abuse of Women in Afghanistan (pdf)
A new United Nations (UN) report on women in Afghanistan that focuses on the growing trend of violence and threats against women in public life and rape/sexual violence. The report concludes that these forms of violence are a huge occurrence in the everyday lives of Afghan women and the government has a crucial role in helping to eradicate these harmful practices towards women.
Silent Epidemic: A Survey of Violence Among Young Asian American Women
This report examines the impact of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and stalking on young Asian American women. The study also examines levels of awareness, prevalence, and access to services. It also addresses cultural and institutional barriers that Asian American victims of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and stalking may face.
Socioeconomic Factors and Processes Associated With Domestic Violence in Rural Bangladesh
This document examines the types and severity of domestic violence, and explores the pathways through which women's social and economic circumstances may influence their vulnerability to violence in marriage in rural Bangladesh.
"This 2008 report provides detailed information on the status of girls in Minnesota. It also serves as a tool for advocates, researchers, and policy makers in developing a set of interventions that will ensure girls’ economic, social, and political equality in the state. "
Surveillance for Violent Deaths -- National Violent Death Reporting System, 16 States, 2005
"This report summarizes data from CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) regarding violent deaths from 16 U.S. states for 2005. Results are reported by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, marital status, location of injury, method of injury, circumstances of injury, and other selected characteristics."
Surviving Violence and Poverty (pdf)
This document examines the link between domestic and sexual violence, women's poverty and welfare. This report contains a statistical overview of the problem and recommendations for future policy change.
Tagalog Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Tagalog translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
This report conceptualizes the Community Engagement Continuum in order to categorize a range of community based approaches in the anti-violence movement and to clarify the goals of engagement. The four points on the continuum--community outreach and education, community mobilization, community organizing, and community accountability--are defined by the level to which the strategies used lead to increases in the community's capacity to transform relations of power.
The Crossing Borders Self-Assessment Guide (pdf)
"A tool kit for doing the "inside work" within programs to strengthen and expand services for immigrant survivors of domestic violence."
The Facts about Domestic Violence
This fact sheet provides current information and statistics on domestic violence. Information includes a working definition, exploration of how different communities are affected by domestic violence and legal protections for victims of domestic violence.
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The purpose of this report is to document the extent to which intimate partner violence (IPV) manifests itself within the African American community, culturally specific factors that impact the dynamics of such violence, the importance of spirituality and religion to African Americans, the centrality of the Black Church within this community, and the response of the Black Church to this epidemic. The report will also highlight the urgent need for the involvement of the Black Church and conclude with recommendations for ways in which the Black Church can be more responsive to this epidemic.
The Multiple Faces of the Intersections between HIV and Violence Against Women (pdf)
"The report compiles various articles that describe the intersection of and links between violence against women and the increasing number of HIV/AIDS transmissions among women. The publishers hope to prompt discussion and efforts focused on creating integrated policies and programs that address violence against women and HIV."
This document examines the relationship between intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy. This paper also calls on reproductive health programs to incorporate screenings for intimate partner violence among patients.
"This briefing paper addresses the needs of the women of the Gulf Coast region and uncovers the multiple disadvantages experienced by women affected by both hurricane Katrina and Rita."
Towards a Common European Framework to Monitor Progress in Combating Violence Against Women (pdf)
"Contains proposals for policies and indicators that could form the basis for a tool to monitor State progress in combating violence against women, as well as case studies of European initiatives that illustrate good practices."
This study examined the experiences of domestic violence of Hispanic and Anglo women recruited at a domestic violence shelter. It documented and compared the domestic violence experiences of women living in rural communities, examined the various correlates of the domestic violence, and evaluated the formal services offered to study participants by the local shelter, courts, and law enforcement over a 1-year period.
Victim Services: Promising Practices in Indian Country (pdf)
This monograph describes promising practices for meeting the needs of victims of violence and domestic and family abuse in Indian Country. Each of the 12 program summaries includes a description of the program’s activities, keys to its success, basic demographic data (e.g., service area and population), and contact information.
Vietnamese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
Vietnamese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence.
"Intimate partner violence against immigrant women is at epidemic proportions, but research has only recently begun to address the concern. A review of the legal, medical, and social science research literature reveals little data, but that which exist demonstrate that immigrant women's cultures, contexts, and legal status (a) increase vulnerability for abuse, (b) are used by batterers to control and abuse immigrant women, and (c) create barriers to women seeking and receiving help. Data also reveal that immigrant culture and context offer resiliency factors through which programs and policy can be used to better serve these populations."
Violence Against Native Women is Not Traditional (Handbook) (pdf)
"This handbook is designed to provide you with information about domestic violence. We all have a right to know about tribal laws, options, and resources available to us. We are all affected in some way by violence. Our best tool in helping make change in ourselves, our family and our communities is to educate ourselves about violence against native women and how it affects us as individuals, families, communities and Native Nations."
Violence Against Native Women: A Guide for Practitioner Action (pdf)
This paper is intended to serve as a guide to practitioners who represent Native women who are the victims of domestic and sexual violence. It is dedicated to the brave Native women whose faces are behind the horrifying statistics. Includes practice tips for law enforcement, tribal leaders, judges, advocates, attorneys, prosecutors, and probation/parole officers.
Violence Against Women: Classic Papers
The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.
Violence Against Women: Identifying Risk Factors (pdf)
This NIJ Research in Brief combines the results taken from two studies, one of which followed college women and men for 4 years, and the other, which followed low-income, mostly black women who had been victims of childhood sexual abuse. Each study found that child sexual abuse alone was a risk factor only when combined with adolescent sexual abuse. Although each study examined a narrowly defined population, taken together, both studies came to remarkably similar conclusions.
Violence in the Lives of Children (pdf)
"This data brief from Child Trends reviews data on the types of violence experienced by U.S. children, including exposure to violence through media to abuse by parents and peers. Differences by age, gender, and race/ethnicity are discussed along with priorities for filling gaps in the data that is available on this topic."
Visibility Through Data: Health Information for Urban American Indian and Alaska Native Communities (pdf)
"This report summarizes information for providers working toward improving the health and well-being of urban American Indian and Alaska Native communities and is a resource that highlights specific health issues facing this population. "
WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence – Country Findings: Brazil
"This fact sheet provides information on the methods and main findings of the study, with regard to the phenomenon of intimate partner violence against women in Brazil. Data on sexual abuse and non-partner physical and sexual violence is also included."
Women in Mongolia: Mapping Progress under Transition
This publication tells of Mongolian women's experiences in the context of the political and economic transformation of their country. It shares reports of women encouraged to bear many children, inadequate health care or resources, and high rates of maternal mortality. Recommendations informed through case studies are presented for improving their social and economic status and increasing their political participation.
Working to End Violence Against Women in Brazil
"This VAWnet special collection highlights and celebrates the tremendous work being done in Brazil to end violence against women. The selected materials and resources provide a snapshot of the magnitude of the problem and highlight various recommendations for public policy as well as opportunities for community involvement and action."
This paper is part of series of papers that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses the way to offer support and safety for children while maintaining safety, autonomy and choide for battered women.
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses impacts of adult domestic violence to young children through developmental risk and resiliency.
Consequences
15 Years of the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences (pdf)
This report reviews the status of violence against women as researched in 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, and 11 communication reports published as recently as December 2008. The report focuses on reproductive health and rights, poverty, migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women refugees, trafficking, aging, and adolescent girls. It also highlights how the mandate on violence against women has changed, what has been learned, and problems still to be addressed.
2006 WATCH Victim Impact Statement Study (pdf)
This study addresses victim impact statements as given in court regarding incidences of domestic violence and/or sexual assault and the effect these statements had on the judge regarding sentencing.
2010 Femicide Report (pdf)
Each year, the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women monitors information about women and children murdered in our state to educate the public about the lethality of domestic violence and child abuse. This report is compiled from news accounts and information provided by law enforcement agencies, county attorneys, court administrators, battered women's programs, and family members and friends of murder victims.
2011 Minnesota Femicide Report (pdf)
The Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women (MCBW) tracks all homicides in the State of Minnesota that result from domestic violence involving a current or former intimate partner. This is the 2011 reporting of those findings.
A Judicial Checklist for Children and Youth Exposed to Violence (Informational Reading) (pdf)
A technical assistance brief that addresses the need for judges to understand the impact violence has on children and adolescents. The detailed checklist outlining information for judges to consider is located separate from this material.
About Domestic Violence: Effects On Children & Teens
A discussion about the impact of domestic violence characterizes this document, and is supplemented with a review of the impact at the various stages of child development.
Abuse of Pregnant Women and Adverse Birth Outcome: Current Knowledge and Implications for Practice
This study summarizes the prevalence of abuse among women who are pregnant and the subsequent implications associated with their delivery and the health of the newborn infant.
Advocacy Matters: Helping Mothers and Their Children Involved with the Child Protection System (pdf)
This publication gives domestic violence experts the information they need to deal successfully with child protection systems and to help battered mothers whose children have been removed from their care. Advocacy Matters includes general information and tips that help advocates better address the needs of battered mothers and their children.
Assessing Risk To Children From Batterers (pdf)
This document provides an overview of potential sources of physical and psychological injury to children from contact with batterers, details recommendations for evaluating the risk to children and provides assessment guidelines that professionals can apply in cases where a batterer admits to a history of abusiveness by asserting that he has changed. Information is also provided regarding the necessary context for children's recovery from exposure to battering behavior.
Assessment for Lifetime Exposure to Violence as a Pathway to Prevention
Provides a brief overview of the research on lifetime exposure to violence and the long-term health consequences of violence. It also examines how assessment for lifetime exposure to violence can create a pathway to prevention and addresses the long-term consequences of exposure to violence over the lifespan.
Baseline Survey on Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Rwanda (pdf)
"This study was conducted to shed light on the magnitude of sexual and gender-based violence in Rwanda, and to determine and analyze the perceptions that communities have about the nature, causes and consequences of incidents of violence. This study also explores the subsequent actions that survivors have taken, and evaluates the role of various stakeholders in preventing and fighting sexual and gender-based violence."
Broken Trust: Elders, Family & Finances (pdf)
"This is a report of a collaborative study of elder financial abuse. The study examines the prevalence as well as characteristics of victims and perpetrators of financial elder abuse and offers suggestions for identifying and addressing this problem. "
Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence - Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about child witnessing of domestic violence are answered along with information about how children are impacted, the long-term effects, and how to help.
Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence: A Meta-Analytic Review (pdf)
This study compared children exposed to domestic violence to children not so exposed. The results showed that child witnesses to domestic violence exhibit more negative outcomes.
Children and Domestic Violence (pdf)
This document is based on a presentation done by Steve Cohen. It reviews the impact of exposure to domestic violence on children, the scope of the problem, and a variety of resources are also provided.
Children and Family Violence: The Unnoticed Victims
May 1994 report based on a New Zealand study. This document goes into detail about child exposure to domestic violence and the consequences of such witnessing.
Children Exposed to Domestic Violence (pdf)
In this brief, an outline is provided that details the domestic violence problem, how it effects children by age and gender, the connection between DV and child abuse, and Rhode Islands specific efforts to combat the problem.
This 26-page resource helps educators understand how violence affects children at different ages, what teachers may see in the classroom, teaching strategies, handling parent-attended events, and supporting students who disclose.
Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence: A Guide to Research and Resources (pdf)
Published in collaborative work with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, this document outlines: the impace of domestic violence on children, the legal issues and system responses affecting children exposed to domestic violence, and provides useful resources which address this specific area of interest.
Children's Exposure to Violence: The Safe Start Initiative (pdf)
This April 2001 Factsheet presents an overview of the Safe Start Initiative. Researchers estimate that as many as 10 million U.S. children witness or are victims of violence in their homes or communities each year. The Safe Start Initiative, which was developed by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in partnership with the Office of Justice Programs and the Department of Health and Human Services, is designed to prevent and reduce the impact of violence on young children and their families through the development of comprehensive and collaborative service delivery systems.
Children's Witnessing of Adult Domestic Violence (pdf)
This article focuses on understanding on how witnessing violence in defined, what we know about its effects on children, and how such information may be used or misused.
Children, Young People and Domestic Violence (pdf)
The author explores "the ways in which children and young people experience domestic violence," as well as the impact it has on child development and the response by professionals and the child protection system is also reviewed.
This report summarizes studies that have estimated economic costs of intimate partner violence against women, and lays out a framework to measure the costs of intimate partner violence in developing countries, factoring in prevention, response, and opportunity costs.
Dating Abuse Prevention in Teens of Moms with Domestic Violence Protection Orders (pdf)
Children exposed to domestic violence are at increased risk of becoming victims and perpetrators of dating abuse when they become teens. Despite this increased risk and the fact that approximately 15 million children are exposed to domestic violence yearly, there have been no evaluated dating abuse prevention programs conducted specifically with this population. The purposes of the proposed research were to 1) develop an intervention to prevent dating abuse in 12 to 15 year old teens exposed to domestic violence (Aim 1), and 2) conduct a small randomized trial to pilot test the procedures that would be used in a future large randomized efficacy trial of the program (Aim 2).
Developmental Status and Early Intervention Service Needs of Maltreated Children (pdf)
"In this report, published by the Institute for Social and Economic Development, the authors analyze findings from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study and the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. They provide information about the developmental status and early intervention service needs of children under age three who are substantiated for maltreatment. Topics include: 1) the extent to which maltreated children have developmental problems or are subject to factors associated with poor developmental outcomes; 2) the services maltreated children might be eligible for and ones they receive through the child welfare systems; 3) case characteristics, such as child welfare setting, that impact the effect of developmental services; and 4) existing barriers to services."
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls (pdf)
"UNICEF's report discusses the scope and magnitude of the problem, causes and consequences of domestic violence, the socio-economic costs of violence, strategies and interventions, and state obligations with regard to domestic violence."
Domestic Violence and children: Analysis and Recommendations
This document reviews the prevalence of child exposure to domestic violence by documenting their existence in all segments of the community. The impact of exposure on children is also discussed.
Domestic Violence and Homelessness Factsheet (pdf)
This is a clear and concise statement of the overlap between these two problems.
Domestic Violence and Prisoner Reentry: Experiences of African American Women and Men (pdf)
This report examines a significant, understudied facet of domestic violence in America: the distinctive experiences of African American women and their African American male intimate partners when those partners are transitioning from prison into the community. The report provides practitioners and policymakers with a better understanding of the challenges that African Americans face in the confluence of intimate partner violence and prisoner reentry.
Domestic Violence and Welfare Reform
From the September 1997, issue of Issue Notes by the Welfare Information Network. Reports how various states approach welfare reform for victims of domestic violence.
Domestic Violence Counts 2010: A 24-hour census of domestic violence shelters and services (pdf)
For the fifth consecutive year, NNEDV conducted the one-day, unduplicated count of adults and children seeking domestic violence services in the U.S., documenting the number of individuals who sought services, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive to provide services to victims of domestic violence. The results are published in this report.
Domestic Violence Has a Significant and Lasting Impact on Our Community and Beyond (pdf)
This document begins with statistics about domestic violence in the Chicago suburban area, then moves on to provide statistics on a state level, a national level, and a global level.
Economic Violence To Women and Girls: Is It Receiving the Necessary Attention? (pdf)
"This paper seeks to draw attention to the types of economic violence experienced by women, and describes its consequences on health and development. Recommendations for practice, policy, and research are also given."
This document examines 4,032 incidents in which males assaulted their female intimate partners, comparing the number of repeat offenses when batterers are and are not arrested.
Effects of Domestic Violence on Children
Binnie discusses the resulting behaviors and manifestations of child exposure to domestic violence, variables/demographics that impact the response, and patterns of abuse, with a focus on Iowa laws.
Effects of Domestic Violence on Children and Adolescents: An Overview
The article examines the prevalence and domestic violence as a cause of traumatic stress in children.
Effects of Domestic Violence on Women: FAQs
Commonly asked questions along with extensive and valuable answers are included in this document. A Safety Plan and a Children's Bill of Rights are provided as well.
Emerging Responses to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence
"This document reviews the new research, policies, and programs focused on children who have witnessed adult domestic violence. It argues that the diversity of children’s experiences requires equally diverse responses from those who serve them."
Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"Presents findings from the NVAW Survey on the extent, nature, and consequences of IPV in the US. The survey compares victimization rates among women and men, specific racial groups, Hispanics and non-Hispanics, and same-sex and opposite-sex cohabitants. "
Facts About Intimate Partner Strangulation (pdf)
A recent fact sheet created by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women as part of a statewide training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and advocates titled the Anatomy of Strangulation.
Facts: Intimate Partner Violence for the World Report on Violence and Health
"Describes the global epidemic of IPV in the following categories: The Extent of the Problem; The Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence; What are the Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence?; & What Can be Done to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence?"
Family Violence Protocol Development
Practice paper from a series of papers for an initiative to provide technical assistance to state administrators and domestic violence advocates implementing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) in TANF and child support enforcement (CSE) contexts. This initiative is a partnership between the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRC) and the Administration for Children and Families, DHHS. This practice paper provides detailed guidance on developing family violence protocols for: the disclosure of domestic violence information; TANF/CSE program response to such disclosures; and the safe enforcement of child support when family violence may be a risk.
Family Violence: A Review of the Dysfunctional Behavior Patterns
December 2000 article. This Study examines family violence and the commonality of mental illness and other psychological problems experienced by the victims.
This report exposes the difficulties domestic violence survivor-defendants have in receiving fair sentencing when they are prosecuted for crimes related to their abuse. Using an international human rights framework, the report obliges the U.S. government to “prevent, investigate, and punish violence against women.”
Georgia Domestic Violence Fatality Review Report (pdf)
The Report analyzes single-victim homicides and near-deadly assaults, provides strategies for ending domestic violence, and spotlights communities that have successfully implemented recommendations from previous reports.
Healing the Invisible Wounds: Children's Exposure to Violence A Guide for Families (pdf)
"This booklet helps parents and other caregivers understand the potential impact of exposure to violence on the development of their children, and provides practical suggestions for supporting the healing process."
Healthy Marriage and the Legacy of Child Maltreatment: A Child Welfare Perspective (pdf)
"This brief explores how childhood experiences, specifically child maltreatment and involvement with the child welfare system, impact the potential for a healthy, lasting marriage. The author also offers recommendations for addressing the unique needs of couples in which one or both partners have experienced childhood maltreatment."
Helping Children Cope with Violence: A School-Based Program That Works (pdf)
Violence is one of our most significant public health issues. Children exposed to violence frequently develop post-traumatic stress symptoms. They are more likely to have behavioral problems, poorer school performance, more days of school absence, and feelings of depression and anxiety. School officials are often willing to provide help at school. But these professionals face an important question: What works? There have been no randomized controlled trials of intervention effectiveness with which to answer this question. To fill this gap, a team of clinician-researchers from several institutions collaborated to develop, implement, and evaluate an intervention designed to help children traumatized by violence. The team included professionals from the RAND Corporation, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
This 76-page resource is written for service providers assisting women who have survived woman abuse. Material addresses the needs of abused women as mothers, how abusive men parent, how abusive men affect family dynamics, effects of power and control tactics on mothers, the potential impact of woman abuse on children of different ages, and strategies used by young people to cope with violence in their homes. Guidance on parenting children who have lived with violence is also offered. Forty-four pages are designed as handouts for women, to be distributed as an adjunct to individual or group interventions on woman abuse or on parenting.
Helping with Domestic Violence: Legal Barriers to Serving Teens in Illinois (pdf)
November 2000. Report based on focus groups and interviews with a total of 110 service providers and teen groups in 1999-2000 to determine why so few services were available for teen victims of domestic violence. This research isolated a variety of Illinois laws and regulations that served as barriers. Subsequent review of laws in other states found that on some issues Illinois laws were more helpful to minors, but that in several key instances Illinois laws are in need of change. This report focuses on legal barriers to providing services to teen victims of domestic violence, specifically those that affect access to transitional and long-term housing, orders of protection for domestic violence, and health and mental health services.
Homeless in Minnesota 2003 (pdf)
Drawn from interviews with more than 3,000 homeless adults and youth throughout Minnesota, this research describes some of the causes, effects, and circumstances surrounding homelessness. It identifies relationships between homelessness, sexual abuse and domestic violence.
Homelessness and Family Trauma: The Case for Early Intervention (pdf)
A publication of Health Care for the Homeless Clinician's Network, National Health Care for the Homeless Council. This article focuses on the impact that homelessness has on children, especially for those who have experienced sexual, physical and/or emotional abuse or are in environments where this abuse is occurring. The issue addresses the need for early intervention and provides clinicians with tips on identifying signs of trauma in homeless children as well as when and how to intervene.
Report describes the Washington State Domestic Violence Fatality Review. It provides an overview of the problem of domestic violence homicide and discusses the data which underlie the findings and recommendations. This report is the first of two that were issued. The second report, Tell the World What Happened to Me: Findings and Recommendations from Washington State Domestic Violence Fatality Review, was released in December 2002 and should be considered the companion piece to this document.
This paper provides domestic violence advocates with information and strategies to promote the use of this housing program as a resource to assist battered women moving from welfare to work.
The guidelines offered here provide specific recommendations for screening and responding to domestic violence in child health settings, which provide a unique and important opportunity to screen for domestic violence and to educate parents about the impact of such violence on children. These guidelines also speak to the need for child health providers to engage in, model, and take leadership in delivering effective primary prevention of domestic violence, as well as other types of family and community violence, by highlighting violence prevention during well child and other routine visits, as a component of routine anticipatory guidance.
This is a briefing paper prepared for a Wingspread Conference of a similar title. It discusses family violence, specifically against women and children, barriers to helping the victims, and the importance of collaboration to effect change.
The purpose of this report is to capture and publish information from an exhaustive needs assessment process conducted over a period of nine months. In Their Own Words is the work of over 200 courageous women and men in the State of Maine who have dared to hope that the truth and wisdom of their experience will be heard by those in power, and that Maine’s mental health and human service systems will respond to the long ignored plight of children and adults traumatized by histories of interpersonal violence.
Information about Murder-Suicides (pdf)
A fact sheet created by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women as part of a statewide training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and advocates titled the Anatomy of Strangulation.
Integrating Anti-Poverty Work into Domestic Violence Advocacy: Iowa's Experience (pdf)
This document describes how the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) approached integrating economic advocacy into its work in order to better respond to the financial concerns of battered women and their families. Domestic violence programs in Iowa incorporated this work into their services by training advocates, developing new collaborative partnerships, and providing economic advocacy to battered women at three pilot sites. In addition, the ICADV secured funding to support its commitment to the institutionalization of economic advocacy in 2001.
Intergenerational Transmission of Partner Violence: A 20-Year Prospective Study (pdf)
An unselected sample of 543 children was followed over 20 years to test the independent effects of parenting, exposure to domestic violence between parents (ETDV), maltreatment, adolescent disruptive behavior disorders, and emerging adult substance abuse disorders (SUDs) on the risk of violence to and from an adult partner.
Interpersonal violence and alcohol (pdf)
This report by the World Health Organization presents research on the relation between alcohol and violence. It suggests that alcohol is a situational determinant which increases the risk of most types of violence. Hazardous and harmful use of alcohol has also been shown to be an important consequence of experiencing or witnessing most forms of violence, but especially child maltreatment and intimate partner violence.
Intimate Partner Homicide (pdf)
This issue of the NIJ Journal focuses on a single important topic—homicides committed by the victim’s spouse or other intimate partner. Women are most likely to be the victim in these cases of intimate partner homicide. An overview on page 2 reflects the range of ideas the authors discuss, from aspects of the problem (such as risk factors and the effect of alcohol abuse) to possible steps toward reducing the number of incidents (such as the effectiveness of domestic violence services and the use of fatality reviews). The articles shed new light on a type of crime that continues to have serious social consequences and to present challenges to law enforcement and health providers.
Intimate Partner Violence: High Costs to Households and Communities (pdf)
A report on the cost of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh, Morocco and Uganda. These three countries were specifically studied because they have high rates of IPV and their governments recently began to address this problem through new programs and laws. The researchers found that most women did not utilize services after experiencing IPV. The study concluded that IPV imposes huge direct costs on women and service providers in all three countries, including health, justice, police, local traditional authorities and social services, and indirect costs on women and families through lost wages and lower productivity.
Knowledge for Health (K4Health) works to improve access to and sharing of global, regional, and country-specific public health knowledge, particularly about family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH).
Learning to Listen, Learning to Help: Understanding Woman Abuse and Its Effects on Children (pdf)
A concise handbook for students and volunteers entering the helping professions, to prepare them to recognize and respond to families in which there is or was violence at home. Topics include background material on the dynamics of woman abuse, the concept of power and control, facts and figures, how to support women and help them find appropriate resources, how children are affected by violence, how children cope with violence at home, how to respond to child disclosure of abuse and neglect, standards of professional conduct, taking stock of your own attitudes, and suggestions for how you can make a difference to end violence.
Little eyes, little ears: How violence against a mother shapes children as they grow (pdf)
This comprehensive 44 page document is divided by topics that cover facts and figures, types of abuse against women and children, ways a child can be impacted by domestic violence, myths about women and abuse, copin strategies, and responding and reporting, among others.
"A study conducted through in-depth interviews with 71 women aged 18-49 who had a history of intimate partner violence. Findings include male reproductive control which encompasses pregnancy-promoting behaviors as well as control and abuse during pregnancy in an attempt to influence the pregnancy outcome. Recommendations include assessing for male reproductive control among women seeking reproductive health services, including antenatal care, so that health care providers may be able to provide education, care, and counseling to help women protect their reproductive health and physical safety."
Marital Rape: New Research and Directions (pdf)
Provides an overview of the research on marital rape including a brief legal history of marital rape; a discussion of the occurrence of marital rape; a summary of the effects of marital rape; and an analysis of practitioners' intervention with marital rape survivors.
Mental Health and Domestic Violence: Collaborative Initiatives, Service Models, and Curricula (pdf)
This document, geared toward professionals, contains information and guidelines for addressing the mental health impact of domestic violence and trauma. It examines collaborative treatment and service delivery models and reviews a few well respected training curricula.
Mobilizing Religious Communities to Respond to Gender-based Violence and HIV: A Training Manual (pdf)
The first in a series of two manuals aimed at raising awareness and educating religious leaders and communities about gender-based violence. The training manual equips religious communities with tools to deepen their awareness and understanding of gender-based violence and its link to HIV and proposes faith-based activities on the subject.
This report focuses on the situations of women who experienced abuse in another country and came to the United States in an effort to protect themselves and their children, but who then faced civil actions in U.S. state or federal courts for child abduction under international legal agreements.
Myths and Facts about Domestic Violence (pdf)
This document lists some common myths about the nature and causes of domestic violence.
Non-fatal strangulation is an important risk factor for homicide of women
The purpose of the study is to examine non-fatal strangulation by an intimate partner as a risk factor for major assault, or attempted or completed homicide of women. The results show non-fatal strangulation as an important risk factor for homicide of women, underscoring the need to screen for non-fatal strangulation when assessing abused women in emergency department settings.
Overcoming Domestic Violence: A Global Challenge (pdf)
"The project is part of the World Council of Churches' decade on Overcoming Violence. The report contains seven chapters, beginning with the author’s recommendations from the project. The rest of the chapters place domestic violence within an international human rights framework, discuss domestic violence’s roots, its effects on development, relevant international law milestones, practical strategies culled from project experiences around the world, and the importance of monitoring development projects to ensure women’s full participation."
Poverty, Welfare and Battered Women: What Does the Research Tell Us?
This paper provides a brief summary of several very recent studies, focusing on the extent and impact of domestic violence among poor women and women on welfare. The overview concludes with implications of this research for the new TANF welfare program.
Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research Part II: Prosecution (pdf)
"The purpose of this work is to describe to practitioners what the research tells us about domestic violence, including its perpetrators and victims, and the impact of current responses to it and, more particularly, the implications of that research for day to day real world responses to domestic violence by law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges."
"The purpose of this work is to describe to practitioners what the research tells us about domestic violence, including its perpetrators and victims, the impact of current responses to it and, more particularly, the implications of that research for day-to-day, real-world responses to domestic violence by law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges."
Pregnancy coercion, intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy (pdf)
In surveying females ages 16–29 years seeking care in five family planning clinics in Northern California, pregnancy coercion and birth control sabotage were found to be common among young women utilizing family planning clinics. In the context of partner violence, these findings are associated with increased risk for unintended pregnancy.
Prevalence and Effects of Child Exposure to Domestic Violence (pdf)
A review of the problems associated with making valid and reliable estimates concerning the prevalence of child exposure to domestic violence in included in this document. Additionally, the impact of such exposure is discussed and the document ends with a discussion surrounding the need for more empirical research in order to effectively intervene with exposed children.
Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women (pdf)
A November 1998 report that summarizes the results of a national survey on men's and women's experiences with violence. This research brief is issued jointly by the National Institute of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Includes information about rape, stalking, and rate of injury.
The findings from this second in a series of reports issued jointly by the National Institute of Justice and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention paint a picture of the violence against women as seen daily by emergency room, law enforcement, and court professionals.
Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)
This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.
Profiling Domestic Violence: A Multi-Country Study
"This study examines the prevalence and correlates of domestic violence and its health consequences using nationally representative data from nine countries: Cambodia, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Haiti, India, Nicaragua, Peru, and Zambia."
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
Restraining Order Violators, Corrective Programming and Recidivism (pdf)
Produced by the Massachusetts Trial Court - Office of the Commissioner of Probation in 2004. This document is the summarized results of a study regarding the ongoings of a domestic violence perpetrator/offender in the criminal courts. Highlights include, the relationship between victime and offender, batterer intervention programs, as well as other forms of treatment/management.
Silent Epidemic: A Survey of Violence Among Young Asian American Women
This report examines the impact of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and stalking on young Asian American women. The study also examines levels of awareness, prevalence, and access to services. It also addresses cultural and institutional barriers that Asian American victims of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and stalking may face.
Surviving Violence and Poverty (pdf)
This document examines the link between domestic and sexual violence, women's poverty and welfare. This report contains a statistical overview of the problem and recommendations for future policy change.
This report examines the links between eating disorders and violence against women and girls. It is based on information gathered from published literature as well as consultations with community workers, health practitioners, and mental health professionals. “Swallowing the Hurt” has been designed for use by frontline workers, health care and social service professionals, educators, and researchers who offer services directly for or who may interact with women and girls experiencing eating disorders or violence.
The Abuse of Animals and Domestic Violence: A National Survey of Shelters for Women Who Are Battered
This short article discusses the results form a national survey examining the experience of women who have been abused and the abuse perpetrated against their animals.
The Economic Dimensions of Interpersonal Violence (pdf)
This document examines the economic effects of interpersonal violence, including sexual violence, as well as the economic effects of interventions seeking to reduce violence and the ways in which economic factors such as poverty and income inequality contribute to violence.
The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across the Lifespan
"This document summarizes the available research on childhood stress and its long-term consequences. Of particular interest is the stress caused by child abuse, neglect, and repeated exposure to intimate partner violence."
The Effects of Family and Community Violence on Children
This document is a review of the current literature on the impact that various types of violence exposure has on children.
The Effects of Violence on Women's Employment
This is an abstract of a paper by Susan Lloyd of the Joint Center for Poverty Research of the Macarthur Foundation. The paper addresses whether women who are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence have lower employment rates than women who have not.
The Facts about Domestic Violence
This fact sheet provides current information and statistics on domestic violence. Information includes a working definition, exploration of how different communities are affected by domestic violence and legal protections for victims of domestic violence.
The Facts on Children and Domestic Violence (pdf)
Outlined in this document is a list of statistics related to domestic violence and its impact on children and pregnancy.
The Facts On Teen Dating Violence (pdf)
A fact sheet created by Futures Without Violence on the prevalence and consequences of teen dating violence.
The Health Costs of Violence: Measuring the burden of disease caused by intimate partner violence (pdf)
This publication is a summary of a study conducted to assess the health impact of intimate partner violence on women. While focusing on health, it complements a vast body of evidence demonstrating the serious social and economic consequences of intimate partner violence for individuals, families and communities.
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Impact of Minnesota's Felony Strangulation Law: A WATCH Report (pdf)
This report documents Hennepin County's responses to the passage of strangulation as a felony offense. Documentations from judges, advocates, and victims are given so as to give account to the benefits persons attain as a result of this passage. County breakdowns as well as the costs to implementation are also presented.
The Impact of Violence in the Lives of Working Women: Creating Solutions - Creating Change
This publication is a corporate handbook designed by NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund to help employers effectively address the issue of violence against women with creative and inexpensive solutions. This guide explains key pertinent legal issues and suggests ways employers can develop strategies for dealing with violence-related issues.
The New Welfare Law: Implications for Battered Women
This paper is the first in a series of three papers that aim to provide relevant and practical information about the new "Welfare Law" and its effects on battered women and their children to domestic violence advocates and others working in the field.
The Origin and True Purpose of the Paddle (pdf)
In this article, the authors explain the origins of paddling in a historical context of slavery, as well as the psychological effects of using corporal punishment on children.
The Validity and Use of Evidence Concerning Battering and Its Effects in Criminal Trials (pdf)
"This report is actually three reports in one: Validity of 'Battered Woman Syndrome' in Criminal Cases; Trends in Expert Testimony on Battering; & Impact of Evidence Concerning Battering and its Effects in Criminal Trials Involving Battered Women."
Thinking About Homicide Risk: A Practice Framework for Counseling
This paper proposes a multi-systemic practice framework to help counselors assess for and respond to homicide risk in family violence contexts. The framework outlines the four main system domains that counselors may need to address: the client system; the therapeutic relationship; the organizational context; and the system of services.
This report is a summary and analysis of recent research studies which identify the extent of domestic violence among women receiving welfare that helps gauge the effects of violence on women's lives, their use of welfare, and on their ability to become economically self-sufficient.
This booklet, designed by the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, helps young adults understand the dynamics of healthy relationships; the signs of controlling relationships; the strategies for dealing with dating violence; and the resources available to end the cycle of violence.
Understanding Financial Literacy with Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence".
This article is an issue brief for one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular articles discusses the importance of financial literacy for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) as an avenue for reaching economic empowerment.
The other presentation briefs are linked in MINCAVA as well, but to quickly access all six, you may also go to http://www.cfs.wisc.edu/domestic-violence-event-page.htm.
This is currently the final publication in the series created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part VII reports on findings from a study investigating the number of children/youth in Vermont exposed to domestic violence, the effects of this exposure on their social/emotional development and mental health, services provided by domestic violence network and mental health programs, perceived barriers to providing these services, the training needs of service providers in Vermont and both strengths and gaps in the continuum of services for these children/youth.
This Violence Against Women Online Resources commissioned document describes the intersection between woman abuse and parenting. The authors identify and discuss seven central themes that highlight the challenges of parenting in the context of woman abuse. Specific implications and recommendations for community and court service providers are also offered.
Violence Against Women: Classic Papers
The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.
Violence Against Women: The Role of Welfare Reform (pdf)
This research documents the prevalence, incidence, and negative impacts of domestic violence in a California welfare reform population.
What About Me? Seeking to Understand the Child's View of Violence in the Family (pdf)
This study was funded by the National Crime Prevention Strategy in Ottawa. It involves an exhaustive review of the literature on child exposure to domestic violence (almost 400 sources) integrated with extensive clinical experience to create a revolutionary new framework for understanding, studying and intervening with children who have lived with woman abuse. Case studies illustrate key points and child drawings bring to life the experience of violence through young eyes.
This report documents the prevalence of intimate partner violence and its association with women's physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health. Data is included on non-partner violence, sexual abuse during childhood and forced first sexual experience. Information is also provided on women’s responses: Whom do women turn to and whom do they tell about the violence in their lives? Do they leave or fight back? Which services do they use and what response do they get?
Widening Our Lens (pdf)
"This brochure presents a comprehensive strategy to address the impact of child maltreatment, interpersonal, and family violence on youth."
Witnessing Domestic Violence: The Effect on Children
The author discusses the conequences of child exposure to domestic violence across various ages, as well as prevention and screening techniques. Community advocacy is emphasized.
Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrow’s Agenda (pdf)
"This report reviews evidence on the health issues that particularly affect girls and women throughout their life course. This report uses currently available data to draw attention to the consequences and costs of failing to address health issues at appropriate points in their lives."
Women's Experiences of Abuse as a Risk Factor for Incarceration
This VAWnet document describes how violence perpetrated against women and girls increases their risk of arrest and incarceration through the intersections of interpersonal and structural violence.
This paper is part of series of papers that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses the way to offer support and safety for children while maintaining safety, autonomy and choide for battered women.
Working with Young Men Who Batter: Current Strategies and New Directions
This article offers an overview of the recent juvenile batterer intervention programs. It identifies risk factors for teen dating violence perpetration as described by the literature and considers the utility of these findings, describes efforts to prevent re-offenses by juvenile perpetrators of domestic violence, discusses several shortcomings inherent in post-crisis intervention, and outlines current challenges within the field.
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses impacts of adult domestic violence to young children through developmental risk and resiliency.
This handbook contains information that will help you learn about: domestic violence and its impact on adolescents; evaluating risk and safety planning for victims of domestic violence; coordinated justice responses to domestic violence and the role of juvenile custody programs and probation; risk assessment and reduction with adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; promising practices for adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; and resources on domestic violence for adolescent victims and perpetrators.
Dating violence
(Un)heard Voices: Domestic Violence in the Asian American Community (pdf)
This publication is based on the results of a focus group with Asian immigrant women and Asian American women from different backgrounds. Various questions and issues are addressed such as identifying victims and perpetrators, prevalence of domestic violence in Asian communities, barriers confronting Asian women and more. The report also gives recommendations to service providers and a national list of organizations committed to serving battered Asian women.
Additional Scripts for Clinic Assessment (pdf)
This document is created for healthcare professionals and provides a series of scripted questions and responses when working with victims of violence. The information is intended to help communicate all the information needed to give to a patient as well as responding to immediate safety issues and making referrals.
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (pdf)
"A guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in Spanish."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (Spanish) (pdf)
"The first ever guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in English."
California Batterer Intervention Systems Study (pdf)
This study on batterer intervention programs in the state of California encompasses 5 counties, 53 batterer intervention programs that provide client data, and over 1,000 men enrolled in those programs. The study found that the individual characteristics of the offenders, and not the program they were enrolled in nor the features of the specific court they were sentenced in, were the strongest predictors of outcomes.
Chinese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Chinese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
"This is a client-centered tool for civil attorneys new to representing victims of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking to provide comprehensive representation and advocacy for their clients."
Compiled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this page offers answers to frequently asked questions on common date rape drugs, how to identify them and the effects of each. Also offers useful tips on how to protect yourself from being a victim, and what to do if you've been drugged.
Did You Know Your Relationship Affects Your Health? (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
Domestic Violence and Health Care
"This special collection on health care and domestic violence draws heavily from the work of the Family Violence Prevention Fund's Health Resource Center. The resources included in this special collection are organized into the following five areas: 1) the impact of domestic violence on health; 2) public health approaches to domestic violence prevention; 3) guidelines and issues concerning identification and intervention by health care providers; 4) information about collaboration between health care providers and domestic violence advocates; and 5) training. This special collection also includes a bibliography of related journal articles."
Domestic Violence Counts 2008: A 24-hour census of domestic violence shelters and services
This report is the most recent data documenting the number of individuals who seek services in a 24 hour period, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive tirelessly to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also contains a state by state report on services requested and provided.
Domestic Violence Counts 2009: A 24-Hour Census of Domestic Violence Shelters and Services
"A one-day report, documenting the number of adults and children seeking domestic violence services in the U.S., the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also provides a state by state summary of services requested and provided. "
This 2008 report contains data documenting the number of individuals who seek services in a 24 hour period, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive tirelessly to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also contains a state by state report on services requested and provided.
Family Violence Prevention and Health Practice Winter 2010 Issue
This issue includes topics such as dating violence, recent domestic and sexual violence related research, and the intersection between domestic violence, poverty, substance abuse, and mental health.
This summary reports on the key findings of research carried out by the National Union of Students between August 2009 and March 2010. Research concerned women students’ experiences of harassment, financial control, control over their course and institution choices, stalking, violence, and sexual assault.
How to obtain U Interim Relief: A Brief Manual for Advocates Assisting Immigrant Victims of Crime (pdf)
This manual provides U Visa information for advocates who assist victims of crime, including domestic violence. The author outlines the definition, requirements, and application process for U Visa Interim relief and also offers information on obtaining permanent residency and derivative status for family members.
Interpersonal and Physical Dating Violence among Teens (pdf)
This Focus Report from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency finds that girls exposed to interpersonal violence are more likely to be exposed to other forms of violence, show a greater propensity for unsafe sexual activity, and a higher incidence of substance abuse and suicide than either boys or non-abused girls. The report also offers recommendations for primary prevention programs.
Korean Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Korean translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Meeting Survivors' Needs: A Multi-State Study of Domestic Violence Shelter Experiences
This study provides important insights into the role that shelters play in survivors' efforts to escape violence and abuse. Results capture the voices and experiences of over 3,400 shelter residents in 215 programs across eight states. The website includes links to the press statement announcing the study's release, the Research in Brief, the Executive Summary, and the full report.
Physical Dating Violence Among High School Students - United States, 2003
A surveillance report in brief of physical dating violence among high school students and selected characteristics.
Physical Dating Violence Among High School Students --- United States, 2003
This article in brief addresses the incidence of physical dating violence among high school adolescents and introduces risk as well as protective factors.
Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence
This special collection emphasizes collaborative and multilevel approaches to the prevention of, and response to, teen dating violence. It draws on the work of many organizations and organizes the resources on TDV prevention and responses by different populations.
Report Cards on Teen Dating Violence 2008 (pdf)
Break the Cycle issued the first-ever state-by-state report cards evaluating the level of legal protection each state offers young victims of domestic and dating violence. The report was issued in conjunction with National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week, February 4-8, 2008.
Tagalog Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Tagalog translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Technological Safety for Domestic Violence Survivors
"Technological tools such as phones, computers, and searchable databases are being used to monitor, harass, and threaten current or former intimate partners. This forum will explore the safety risks and benefits of technology and cover areas of confidentiality, co-location, and data sharing. The host for this forum is Anzala Alozie. Anzala is the Director of Services at the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and provides management of the statewide Domestic & Sexual Violence Hotline, Women of Color Leadership, Economic Justice, Technology Safety, and Training projects."
Teen Dating Violence: A Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography (pdf)
This аnnotated bibliography and summary of research identify significant research carried out in the decade since 1999 on the issue of dating violence among high school and middle school youth. The survey provided by the bibliography and summary covers quantitative and qualitative literature on the definition and prevalence of, as well as risk factors for, adolescent dating violence, also called teen relationship abuse.
The Sexual Victimization of College Women
This study contributes data to our understanding about the prevalence and nature of violence against women in the United States.
This booklet, designed by the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, helps young adults understand the dynamics of healthy relationships; the signs of controlling relationships; the strategies for dealing with dating violence; and the resources available to end the cycle of violence.
Disability
A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities (pdf)
This guide helps women with disabilities from around the world to overcome the barriers of social stigma and inadequate care to improve their general health, self-esteem, and independence as active members of their communities.
Chapter 14 specifically covers abuse, violence and self-defense. The chapter discusses different kinds of abuse, preventing abuse, support for women leaving violent partners, sexual violence, abuse in institutions, and what to do to be safer.
Breaking the Links Between Poverty and Violence against Women: A Resource Guide (pdf)
"This resource guide explores the ways in which poverty and violence are linked. It acknowledges the efforts of women’s groups, community organizations and service agencies that support low-income women to take control of and deal with the poverty and violence in their lives. Another area of focus is to inspire community-based groups to take action on poverty and violence issues by providing practical examples of what others are doing."
Crimes Against People with Disabilities, 2007 (pdf)
"Using 2007 National Crime Victimization Survey data, the study found that persons with disabilities were victims of about 47,000 rapes. Rates of rape and sexual assault were more than twice those for people without disabilities. In addition, youth with a disability ages 12 to 19 experienced violence at nearly twice the rate as those without a disability."
Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing and a Victim of Domestic Violence
If you are Deaf, DeafBlind or Hard-of-Hearing and also a victim of domestic violence (or an advocate working with someone who is) this resource may be helpful to you. Developed in 2004, the information is divided into four sections: information on programs; questions victim/survivors often ask; information for advocates regarding Deaf culture; and Deaf specific general resources.
Emerging issues in domestic/family violence research (pdf)
"This paper presents an overview of the key emerging issues in Australian domestic and family violence research in the context of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities; the elderly; those with disabilities; people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Indigenous communities; homelessness; the impact on children; and issues around perpetrator programs."
The goal of this manual is to expand the definition of what is "enough" when it comes to domestic violence advocacy, so that all domestic violence services are as accessible as possible to all persons regardless to disability.
Forging New Collaborations: A Guide for Rape Crisis, Domestic Violence, and Disability Organizations (pdf)
This document was created as a roadmap for bringing together agencies at the intersection of violence and disability so that they can create a new and effective approach to safety, healing, and accessibility to services for their clients.
This report focuses on the prevalence and pervasiveness of violence against women and girls with disabilities. Although women with disabilities experience many of the same forms of violence all women experience, when gender and disability intersect, violence takes on unique forms, has unique causes, and results in unique consequences. Further, women with disabilities who are also people of color or members of minority or indigenous peoples, or who are lesbian, trans-gender or intersex or who live in poverty, can be subject to particularized forms of violence and discrimination. These intersections must be explored in greater depth to ensure that the complexities of violence against women with disabilities are properly understood and addressed.
Impact: Feature Issue on Violence Against Women with Developmental or Other Disabilities (pdf)
Examines how disability service providers, sexual and domestic violence programs, law enforcement, researchers, and women with disabilities can work together to respond to a major civil rights, quality of life, and health issue for women with disabilities - the presence of violence in their lives.
Impact: Feature Issue on Violence and Women with Developmental or Other Disabilities (pdf)
This publication presents a collection of articles that explore violence as it impacts women with developmental and other disabilities. This collection offers strategies and ideas for bringing together disability service providers, sexual and domestic violence programs, law enforcement and the justice system, policymakers, researchers, and women with disabilities to prevent future victimization.
Increasing Agency Accessibility for People with Disabilities: DV Agency Self-Assessment Guide (pdf)
The Coalition developed this tool specifically for domestic violence organizations to increase their program’s ability to work with people with disabilities. This self-assessment guide is intended to assist domestic violence programs in evaluating their accessibility to victims with disabilities in their community.
Individual-Systemic Violence: Disabled Women's Standpoint (pdf)
"This article explores reasons for the systemic omission of women with disabilities from mainstream research and from services addressing non-disabled women's experiences."
Interpersonal Violence and Women With Disabilities: A Research Update
"This article provides an update on what researchers have learned during the past ten years about abuse and women with disabilities and offers some perspectives on the state of current research and its implications for future studies and advocacy efforts."
Model Protocol on Safety Planning for Domestic Violence Victims with Disabilities
The goal of this protocol and recommended policies is to support domestic violence agencies: to increase their safety planning services to people with disabilities and advance self-determination for people with disabilities by offering safety planning that is cognizant of environmental and social barriers. This protocol builds on the existing safety planning knowledge of domestic violence programs. Basic safety planning strategies will not be reviewed in this document.
Model Protocol on Screening Practices for Domestic Violence Victims with Disabilities (pdf)
The goal of this protocol is to support domestic violence agencies in the State of Washington in examining and revising their intake and screening process to include questions about disability issues. Inquiring if a victim has a disability that requires accommodation gives the program information that enables them to provide appropriate accessible services.
Model Protocol on Service Animals in Domestic Violence Shelters (pdf)
"This document provides basic information about the use of service animals, the laws that apply to domestic violence shelters and service animals, and suggested policies and procedures for domestic violence shelters regarding service animals."
On the Road to Equality: Statewide Findings & Policy Recommendations (pdf)
"A supplement to the Status of Girls in Minnesota report by the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota in partnership with the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Focus groups were conducted in 18 Minnesota communities that included African American, Latino, Native American, Asian American, LBT (Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender), and disabilities communities — to share key research findings and gain community input. This report captures the voices and policy recommendations of these communities, nonprofit and public leaders."
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
Recognizing and Interrupting Abuse of Adults with Disabilities
Part of the World Institute on Disability, this website provides information on abuse towards those with a disability. Headings include "What is Abuse", "Types of Abuse", "What contributes to Abuse", and more.
Resource Guide for Advocates & Attorneys on Interpretation Services for Domestic Violence Victims (pdf)
This document provides guidelines from the Interpretation Technical Assistance and Resource Center that focus on court interpretation for domestic and sexual violence victims with limited English proficiency. These guidelines inform how advocacy, interpretation, and language access can be integrated.
Responding to Abuse Against Women with Disabilities: Broadening the Definition of Domestic Violence (pdf)
An article that discusses the importance of screening for domestic violence by health care providers when serving women with disabilities.
Special Collection: Domestic and family violence and disability
While comprehensive information about domestic and family violence against people with disabilities is limited, available research suggests that women with disabilities experience significantly higher levels of violence than other women, while facing greater challenges to accessing support and assistance. This Clearinghouse database contains a wide array of research and resources on issues related to people with disabilities, including information about prevalence and service practice, as well as resources for clients and workers.
Thematic study on the issue of violence against women and girls and disability (pdf)
This report analyzes national legislation, policies and programmes for the protection and prevention of violence against women and girls with disabilities. It highlights the remaining challenges in addressing the root causes of violence against women and girls with disabilities and how to incorporate women and girls with disabilities into gender-based violence programmes. The study concludes with recommendations on legislative, administrative, policy and programmatic measures to address violence against women and girls with disabilities.
Violence Against Women With Disabilities: An Overview of the Literature
This report explores the literature in relation to women with disabilities and violence from 1990-1999.
1998 article. Discusses the general issues (portrait of a woman with disability, what is violence, causes, why women?), specifications on maltreatment against disabled women, types of violence, general polices to combat violence against women, different world approaches, and more.
Violence in the Lives of Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
"This Special Collection offers information regarding the experiences and needs of individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing and victims/survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence. The collection seeks to increase knowledge and understanding of deaf culture, provide resources to assist professionals working directly with deaf individuals, and highlight best practices."
Working with Victims of Crime with Disabilities
This is a product of the Symposium on Working with Crime Victims with Disabilities, funded by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and coordinated by the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA). They developed recommendations for OVC and the victim assistance field on improving the response in serving crime victims with disabilities.
Economic impact
"This report provides an analysis of patterns of human rights abuses against women who are exposed to the risk of or are already living with HIV in rural contexts of widespread poverty and unemployment."
15 Years of the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences (pdf)
This report reviews the status of violence against women as researched in 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, and 11 communication reports published as recently as December 2008. The report focuses on reproductive health and rights, poverty, migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women refugees, trafficking, aging, and adolescent girls. It also highlights how the mandate on violence against women has changed, what has been learned, and problems still to be addressed.
2009 KIDS COUNT Data Book: State Profiles of Child Well-being (pdf)
This 20th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book provides national and state-by-state information and statistical trends on the conditions of America’s children and families. The book reports on indicators of educational achievement, economic well-being, and health, among others. The book also ranks states on a composite indicator of child wellness, aggregating measures such as infant mortality rate, graduation rates, and children in poverty.
Achieving Equity for Women: Policy Alternatives for the New Administration Symposium Report (pdf)
"This report summarizes the policy research symposium convened by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research and the Wellesley Centers for Women, held in Washington, DC on April 2, 2009. The symposium highlighted four policy areas in which public policy can work to improve the status of women in the United States: women and economic recovery; retirement, social security and aging; quality early care and education; and women and health care reform."
Asset Building and Individual Development Accounts (IDAs)
This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and surveys. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) and how they relate to ending violence against women. Direct links to the documents are provided.
Asset Building Programs for Domestic Violence Survivors (pdf)
This paper discusses asset building programs, including some of the benefits of asset ownership and why asset building programs for domestic violence survivors may be important. The dearth of literature on assets and domestic violence is reviewed, calling for further research.
Breaking the Links Between Poverty and Violence against Women: A Resource Guide (pdf)
"This resource guide explores the ways in which poverty and violence are linked. It acknowledges the efforts of women’s groups, community organizations and service agencies that support low-income women to take control of and deal with the poverty and violence in their lives. Another area of focus is to inspire community-based groups to take action on poverty and violence issues by providing practical examples of what others are doing."
Bridging the Gap: Financing Gender Equality (pdf)
"This booklet is intended for those who wish to better understand the links between gender equality, public policy formation and development financing. It highlights the importance of expanding policy choices in setting the framework for national development plans, and emphasizes the central role of strategies to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women in achieving development effectiveness."
Broken Trust: Elders, Family & Finances (pdf)
"This is a report of a collaborative study of elder financial abuse. The study examines the prevalence as well as characteristics of victims and perpetrators of financial elder abuse and offers suggestions for identifying and addressing this problem. "
This report summarizes studies that have estimated economic costs of intimate partner violence against women, and lays out a framework to measure the costs of intimate partner violence in developing countries, factoring in prevention, response, and opportunity costs.
"This report articulates a corporate strategy for working with governments and partners in promoting gender equality."
Desk Reference for Recognizing and Responding to Domestic Violence
Outlines a helpful intervention approach with victims in the workplace. This tool is designed for Human Resources and Employee Assistance Professionals.
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls (pdf)
"UNICEF's report discusses the scope and magnitude of the problem, causes and consequences of domestic violence, the socio-economic costs of violence, strategies and interventions, and state obligations with regard to domestic violence."
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls
"Highlights issues of abuse; femicide; forced prostitution; sexual abuse of children; sex-selective abortion, female infanticide and differential access to food and medical care; and, traditional and cultural practices that affect women's health and lives."
Domestic Violence and Financial Well-Being: How Research Can Advance Practice and Policy (pdf)
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence".
This article is an issue brief for one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular article summarizes current thinking about how to assess the impact of domestic violence (DV) on women’s financial well-being.
Domestic Violence and Homelessness (pdf)
"This fact sheet covers homelessness and DV, DV and poverty, and how women can be trapped by homelessness and violence. This piece encourages policy that reduces the risk of homeless for survivors through housing discrimination protection."
Domestic Violence and Homelessness Factsheet (pdf)
This is a clear and concise statement of the overlap between these two problems.
Domestic Violence and Housing (pdf)
"This fact sheet shows the risks of homelessness for DV survivors, the difficulty in obtaining permanent housing, and housing discrimination."
Domestic Violence and Welfare Reform
From the September 1997, issue of Issue Notes by the Welfare Information Network. Reports how various states approach welfare reform for victims of domestic violence.
Dossier on Domestic Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean
"This publication includes a detailed balance of the work developed in Latin American and the Caribbean to eliminate violence against women. The objective of the publication is to have a tool that will help to design future activities in a more accurate way that take into account the economic, cultural and geographical women's reality of the Region in order to eliminate domestic violence. It also contains guidelines and recommendations for the future work on women’s rights for a life free of violence."
Economic Stress and Domestic Violence
This Applied Research paper provides data on domestic violence rates across social classes, highlights the relationship between economic stress and domestic violence, and explores employment, social support networks, and weaknesses in social services. The paper concludes by discussing strategies that may simultaneously address the intersecting problems of financial distress and DV, including universal screening for DV, responses by employers, and collaboration among social service providers.
Economic Violence To Women and Girls: Is It Receiving the Necessary Attention? (pdf)
"This paper seeks to draw attention to the types of economic violence experienced by women, and describes its consequences on health and development. Recommendations for practice, policy, and research are also given."
Employment and Domestic Violence
"This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, bibliographies, fact sheets, laws and court action, papers, regulations, reports and surveys relating to domestic violence and employment. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in employment issues related to ending violence against women. "
Employment Rights: Victims of Violence and Harassment (pdf)
Fact Sheet on employment rights for crime victims. Includes information on what information you need to supply your employer with, missing work, compensation, and unemployment.
Facilitating Savings and Asset Ownership Among Domestic Violence Survivors (pdf)
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence"
This article is an issue brief for one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular articles addresses the need to assist women who have been in violent relationships to develop economic independence through asset building and savings.
Family Violence Protocol Development
Practice paper from a series of papers for an initiative to provide technical assistance to state administrators and domestic violence advocates implementing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) in TANF and child support enforcement (CSE) contexts. This initiative is a partnership between the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRC) and the Administration for Children and Families, DHHS. This practice paper provides detailed guidance on developing family violence protocols for: the disclosure of domestic violence information; TANF/CSE program response to such disclosures; and the safe enforcement of child support when family violence may be a risk.
Federal Housing and Domestic Violence: Introduction to Programs, Policy, and Advocacy Opportunities
This paper provides a basic overview of the laws and policies governing the principal federal housing programs and discusses key policy issues these programs raise for battered women.
Financial Capability and Domestic Violence Prevention (pdf)
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence".
This article is an issue brief for one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular article speaks to the importance of expanding financial education programs for survivors of domestic violence.
"Themes from this meeting hosted by the Government of Norway in Oslo include: macroeconomic policies, public finance and gender-responsive budgeting, bilateral and multilateral aid, and funding the women’s movement."
Gender Responsive Budgeting in Practice: A Training Manual
"This training manual was produced under a UNFPA/UNIFEM strategic partnership aimed at developing a coordinated approach for effective technical assistance to gender-responsive budgeting (GRB)."
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda (pdf)
"This report describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods."
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
"This report describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods."
Health Care Costs Associated with Violence in Pennsylvania (pdf)
"Reports the impact of violence in Pennsylvania including interpersonal violence (homicide, aggravated assault, rape) domestic violence (partner, child and elder abuse) and self-directed violence (suicide and attempted suicide)."
Homeless in Minnesota 2003 (pdf)
Drawn from interviews with more than 3,000 homeless adults and youth throughout Minnesota, this research describes some of the causes, effects, and circumstances surrounding homelessness. It identifies relationships between homelessness, sexual abuse and domestic violence.
Homelessness and Family Trauma: The Case for Early Intervention (pdf)
A publication of Health Care for the Homeless Clinician's Network, National Health Care for the Homeless Council. This article focuses on the impact that homelessness has on children, especially for those who have experienced sexual, physical and/or emotional abuse or are in environments where this abuse is occurring. The issue addresses the need for early intervention and provides clinicians with tips on identifying signs of trauma in homeless children as well as when and how to intervene.
"This paper offers a research on DV and homelessness and trends in federal housing policy. A model for conducting a community assessment of local housing needs includes critical thinking questions on an organization’s capacity for housing advocacy."
Housing and Battered Women: A Case Study of Domestic Violence Programs in Iowa
The purpose of this paper is to increase the domestic violence advocacy communitys knowledge about housing issues, federal housing programs, and strategies to comprehensively address battered women's needs for housing.
Housing and Battered Women: Increasing Battered Women's Access to Federal Housing Programs
This paper encourages advocates to collaborate in an effort to support proposed federal housing regulations that begin to address some of the housing needs of battered women and to submit comments to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support those sections of the proposed regulations that could give battered women faster access to housing.
This paper provides domestic violence advocates with information and strategies to promote the use of this housing program as a resource to assist battered women moving from welfare to work.
Innovative Strategies to Provide Housing for Battered Women
This paper highlights how eight domestic violence organizations are responding to the housing needs of battered women in their communities.
Integrating Anti-Poverty Work into Domestic Violence Advocacy: Iowa's Experience (pdf)
This document describes how the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) approached integrating economic advocacy into its work in order to better respond to the financial concerns of battered women and their families. Domestic violence programs in Iowa incorporated this work into their services by training advocates, developing new collaborative partnerships, and providing economic advocacy to battered women at three pilot sites. In addition, the ICADV secured funding to support its commitment to the institutionalization of economic advocacy in 2001.
Intimate Partner Violence in Disadvantaged Neighborhoods (pdf)
This article discusses who is most at risk and details the role that economic policies and employment practices might play in reducing the risk of intimate violence.
Intimate Partner Violence: High Costs to Households and Communities (pdf)
A report on the cost of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh, Morocco and Uganda. These three countries were specifically studied because they have high rates of IPV and their governments recently began to address this problem through new programs and laws. The researchers found that most women did not utilize services after experiencing IPV. The study concluded that IPV imposes huge direct costs on women and service providers in all three countries, including health, justice, police, local traditional authorities and social services, and indirect costs on women and families through lost wages and lower productivity.
Kenyan Laws and Harmful Customs Curtail Women’s Equal Enjoyment of ICESCR Rights (pdf)
"The Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya (FIDA Kenya) and the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic (IWHRC) at Georgetown University released this report as a supplement to Kenya’s latest periodic report under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The report finds that Kenyan laws and practices prevent women from attaining economic, social and cultural Rights."
"This manual was published by Transforming Communities, a California-based organization creating sustainable community-based approaches to preventing violence against women and girls. The authors provides a step-by-step approach to understanding how cost-benefit thinking can be applied to domestic violence prevention in order to persuade funders and policy makers of the need for programs. Contents include descriptions of specific prevention programs and their impact using a cost-benefit perspective, as well as guidance in building tools to strengthen and justify your prevention program to obtain funding and support."
"This report provides extensive research of the mail-order bride industry in the United Kingdom. The industry is linked to the promotion of trafficking, prostitution, pornography and slavery. The report suggests that this industry not only exploits vulnerable groups of women but also reinforces racial and ethnic stereotypes. Recommendations are given on what the government can do to further protect women."
Manual for estimating the economic costs of injuries due to interpersonal and self-directed violence (pdf)
"The manual provides a standardized set of recommendations to estimate the direct and indirect economic costs of interpersonal and self-directed violence."
Not Enough: What TANF Offers Family Violence Victims (pdf)
Based on a national survey of service providers, this report is a comprehensive effort to understand when TANF successfully assists victims of family violence, and when the program falls short.
"This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and surveys. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in poverty and how it relates to ending violence against women."
Poverty, Welfare and Battered Women: What Does the Research Tell Us?
This paper provides a brief summary of several very recent studies, focusing on the extent and impact of domestic violence among poor women and women on welfare. The overview concludes with implications of this research for the new TANF welfare program.
Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)
This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.
A Prevention Institute memo highlighting opportunities for improving safety and well-being in our nation’s urban areas while saving money and stimulating the economy.
Progress of South Asian Women 2005 (pdf)
"The document presents a snapshot of women's situation in South Asia, an overview of the processes at work promoting the advancement of women, and identifies gaps during the period 2000–2005. Some of the challenges noted are disproportionate returns to contributions, the added "burden of care," a declining sex ratio, increased gender-based violence, trafficking of women and girls, and the spread of HIV/AIDS."
Progress of the World's Women 2000
UNIFEM's first issue in the biennial investigation of progress made towards a world where women live free from violence, poverty and inequality. Topics covered include women's economic security and rights, engendering governance and leadership and promoting women's human rights.
Progress of the World's Women 2002, Volume 2: Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals
This is the second edition of a biennial publication to track and measure the world's commitment to gender equality. It examines progress for women, or the lack of it, in education, literacy, non-agricultural wage employment and parliamentary representation.
This report examines innovative partnership designed to assist the employment needs of immigrant women who are survivors of domestic violence.
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
Public Housing Occupency Guidebook (pdf)
In July 2003, HUD issued a revised Public Housing Occupancy Guidebook. The Guidebook includes a new chapter (Part 7, Chapter 19) on domestic violence. The chapter discusses the seriousness and pervasiveness of domestic violence and the need for affordable housing faced by victims of abuse. The chapter further describes the measures that HUD and Congress have taken to address this problem, and actions that HUD urges Public Housing Authorities to take. The DV chapter starts at p. 216 of the Guidebook, which is p. 225 in the PDF document.
State of World Population 2009 Facing a Changing World: Women, Population and Climate (pdf)
"The report shows that improving the health and education of women and girls sparks economic development, reduces poverty and slows population growth – three key ways to minimize the effects of climate change."
"This 2008 report provides detailed information on the status of girls in Minnesota. It also serves as a tool for advocates, researchers, and policy makers in developing a set of interventions that will ensure girls’ economic, social, and political equality in the state. "
Surviving Violence and Poverty (pdf)
This document examines the link between domestic and sexual violence, women's poverty and welfare. This report contains a statistical overview of the problem and recommendations for future policy change.
The Economic Dimensions of Interpersonal Violence (pdf)
This document examines the economic effects of interpersonal violence, including sexual violence, as well as the economic effects of interventions seeking to reduce violence and the ways in which economic factors such as poverty and income inequality contribute to violence.
The Economic Impacts of Domestic Violence: A Blueprint for Action (pdf)
"This report contains selected findings and recommendations resulting from a series of hearings held in MA in June 2001. The hearings involved more than 125 people, with 40% of these identifying as survivors of domestic violence."
The Effects of Violence on Women's Employment
This is an abstract of a paper by Susan Lloyd of the Joint Center for Poverty Research of the Macarthur Foundation. The paper addresses whether women who are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence have lower employment rates than women who have not.
The Facts on Health Care & Domestic Violence (pdf)
"Statistics on domestic violence incidents highlighting health consequences to the victim, children's health issues, hospital and other health service costs, identification and screening practices in health care settings, and domestic violence during and after pregnancy."
The Health Costs of Violence: Measuring the burden of disease caused by intimate partner violence (pdf)
This publication is a summary of a study conducted to assess the health impact of intimate partner violence on women. While focusing on health, it complements a vast body of evidence demonstrating the serious social and economic consequences of intimate partner violence for individuals, families and communities.
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Impact of Violence in the Lives of Working Women: Creating Solutions - Creating Change
This publication is a corporate handbook designed by NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund to help employers effectively address the issue of violence against women with creative and inexpensive solutions. This guide explains key pertinent legal issues and suggests ways employers can develop strategies for dealing with violence-related issues.
The Multiple Faces of the Intersections between HIV and Violence Against Women (pdf)
"The report compiles various articles that describe the intersection of and links between violence against women and the increasing number of HIV/AIDS transmissions among women. The publishers hope to prompt discussion and efforts focused on creating integrated policies and programs that address violence against women and HIV."
The New Welfare Law: Child Support Enforcement
This paper is the last in the series and provides a brief overview of family violence issues in the context of child support enforcement and the establishment of paternity.
"This briefing paper addresses the needs of the women of the Gulf Coast region and uncovers the multiple disadvantages experienced by women affected by both hurricane Katrina and Rita."
This paper describes results of phone interviews with twelve domestic violence transitional housing programs across the country. Key considerations for new and emerging programs are offered. Program profiles are also provided.
This report is a summary and analysis of recent research studies which identify the extent of domestic violence among women receiving welfare that helps gauge the effects of violence on women's lives, their use of welfare, and on their ability to become economically self-sufficient.
Understanding Financial Literacy with Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
In May of 2011 The Center for Financial Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Social Security Administration hosted the workshop "Exploring the Intersection Between Financial Literacy and Domestic Violence".
This article is an issue brief for one of the six presentations from the workshop. This particular articles discusses the importance of financial literacy for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) as an avenue for reaching economic empowerment.
The other presentation briefs are linked in MINCAVA as well, but to quickly access all six, you may also go to http://www.cfs.wisc.edu/domestic-violence-event-page.htm.
Victims' Economic Security and Safety Act (pdf)
VESSA provides unpaid leave, eligibility for unemployment insurance, and protection from employment and insurance discrimination for victims of domestic and sexual violence.
This report, produced by the Pan American Health Organization, in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, highlights that intimate partner and sexual violence against women is widespread in all Latin American and the Caribbean countries where survey data are available. The report aims to raise awareness of violence against women within the LAC Region and around the world as a public health problem and a violation of human rights.
Violence Against Women: The Role of Welfare Reform (pdf)
This research documents the prevalence, incidence, and negative impacts of domestic violence in a California welfare reform population.
Welfare and Domestic Violence Against Women: Lessons from Research
This VAWnet paper provides a succinct summary of welfare research, with a focus on the aspects that have implications for advocates and others who work with women who receive TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families- the program established under PRWORA).
Welfare, Poverty, and Abused Women: New Research and its Implications (pdf)
"This summary of studies on domestic violence and TANF recipients explores their physical and mental health and work experience. It focuses on interference from their partners, barriers to work, the Family Violence Option, and the Child Support Exemption."
When Violence Hits Home: How Economics and Neighborhood Play a Role (pdf)
The study reveals that the incidence of violence in the home is exacerbated by economic factors apart from the characteristics of the individuals involved. Researchers found that economic problems or distresses such as losing one’s job and specific circumstances such as the length of a relationship interact with the kind of community in which people live to influence the offenders and victims of intimate violence. The study sheds light on the connections between intimate violence and personal and economic well-being and on how the type of neighborhood in which women live may influence them to stay in or leave abusive relationships.
Women and HIV/AIDS: Confronting the Crisis (pdf)
"This report documents the latest information on the current HIV/AIDS pandemic, the devastating and often invisible impact of AIDS on women and girls and highlights the ways discrimination, poverty and gender-based violence help fuel the epidemic. Most importantly, the report targets the strategies to reverse the trends."
Women in Mongolia: Mapping Progress under Transition
This publication tells of Mongolian women's experiences in the context of the political and economic transformation of their country. It shares reports of women encouraged to bear many children, inadequate health care or resources, and high rates of maternal mortality. Recommendations informed through case studies are presented for improving their social and economic status and increasing their political participation.
This report shares findings garnered from a series of interviews held with a diverse group of women from throughout the Gulf region. In telling their stories, it provides an analysis of women's increased vulnerability during times of natural disasters and lays out policy recommendations that pinpoint how best to address those needs in the wake of this disaster, and in anticipation of the next.
This paper is part of series of papers that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses the way to offer support and safety for children while maintaining safety, autonomy and choide for battered women.
Elder abuse
A Response to the Abuse of Vulnerable Adults (pdf)
This report is the result of a 2000 survey of state adult protective services conducted by the National Association of Adult Protective Services Administrators.
Abuse in Later Life (pdf)
Fact sheet on the abuse of individuals in later life. Includes definitions, challenges and general information.
Abuse in Later Life Wheel (pdf)
This power and control wheel is developed for older victims and is adapted from the original power/equality wheel by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project in Duluth, MN.
Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation In Licensed Facilities (pdf)
Offers information and resources on elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation in licensed facilities.
Addressing Elder Sexual Abuse: Developing a Community Response
This multimedia curriculum is created to promote community partnerships in combating elder sexual abuse. This is a joint project of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and the Pennsylvania Department of Aging and is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency.
Broken Trust: Elders, Family & Finances (pdf)
"This is a report of a collaborative study of elder financial abuse. The study examines the prevalence as well as characteristics of victims and perpetrators of financial elder abuse and offers suggestions for identifying and addressing this problem. "
Chinese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Chinese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Detecting, Addressing and Preventing Elder Abuse in Residential Care Facilities (pdf)
"This study focused on detection, investigation, and resolution of elder abuse and neglect complaints in what are known as residential care facilities."
This VAWnet document summarizes research addressing domestic abuse in later life, which is defined as male and female victims, age 50 and older, abused by someone in a trusted, ongoing relationship such as spouse or partner, family member, and/or some caregivers or older battered women. Fifty-four articles published from 1988 to 2002 were reviewed.
This document provides an overview of elder abuse including types of abuse, risk factors, and prevention and intervention strategies for individuals, families, and communities.
Elder Abuse and Neglect Basics: Elder Abuse Laws
This page provides a brief overview of the major areas of federal and state law related to services for elder abuse victims, civil remedies for elder abuse, neglect and exploitation, and the prosecution of crimes against elderly people.
Elder Abuse in the United States
Presents findings from NIJ-funded research projects on the elderly and elder care. These projects are helping to build a body of knowledge that will help caretakers, medical personnel, and law enforcement officers to recognize abuse indicators—known as forensic markers—and isolate factors that place elderly individuals at risk. (Nov, 2006)
Elder Abuse: A Well Kept Secret
This article focuses on defining the scope of the problem, addressing the related issue of self-neglect, and outlining community resources for caregivers of the elderly.
Elder Abuse: A Women’s Issue (pdf)
"This report brings together experts and organizations that work to combat the problem of elder abuse, sharing its many dimensions and complexities, how it affects women in a disproportionate manner, and seeking effective solutions."
Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation in an Aging America
This full book link is provided courtesy of The National Academies Press. This is an online book and can be read in its entirety front to back, by chapter or skimmed by topic of interest. Published in 2002, this book details everything from the definitions and concepts of elder abuse to the public policy implications as well as to the types of interventions available for working with this population.
Emerging issues in domestic/family violence research (pdf)
"This paper presents an overview of the key emerging issues in Australian domestic and family violence research in the context of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities; the elderly; those with disabilities; people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Indigenous communities; homelessness; the impact on children; and issues around perpetrator programs."
Examination of Resident Abuse in Assisted Living Facilities (pdf)
This study surveyed administrators and direct care workers in Assisted Living Facilities across the United States to assess their perceptions of the prevalence and nature of resident abuse in their facilities as well as the demographic and other characteristics of abuse victims and perpetrators.
Health Care Costs Associated with Violence in Pennsylvania (pdf)
"Reports the impact of violence in Pennsylvania including interpersonal violence (homicide, aggravated assault, rape) domestic violence (partner, child and elder abuse) and self-directed violence (suicide and attempted suicide)."
Korean Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Korean translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence
"The Lifetime Spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Missing voices: views of older persons on elder abuse (pdf)
This study asks older persons and primary health care workers themselves a series of questions in order to understand what their perceptions are, how they themselves classify elder abuse, and what they perceive as the first steps needed for a global strategy against the abuse of older people. The findings throw new light on how to perceive and approach elder abuse.
National Elder Abuse Incidence Study - 1998 (pdf)
The first report of its kind in the U.S., this incidence report details the definitions of elder abuse, the characteristics of victims and perpetrators of elder abuse, and the findings of this survey project.
New York City Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee Annual Report 2008 (pdf)
This report describes family-related homicides that occurred in New York City between 2002 and 2007. Includes key findings, risk factors, and action steps in response to findings.
Ohio Elder Abuse Task Force Report (pdf)
This report consists of recommendations, issues for future consideration, and implementation strategies for the prevention of elder abuse as a result of research done by the Ohio Elder Abuse Task Force.
Preventing and Responding to Domestic & Sexual Violence in Later Life
"This special collection brings together selected materials related to preventing and responding to elder abuse, specifically domestic and sexual violence. It highlights the complexities of older people's DV/SV experiences and emphasizes collaborative and multi-pronged approaches to addressing DV/SV in later life."
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
Punjabi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Punjabi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Report on Elder Abuse in India (pdf)
As life expectancy in India is increasing and the number of elderly is growing, security and abuse of older persons is emerging as an issue of greater concern. HelpAge India felt it was important to understand issues relating to elder abuse, its nature and extent of prevalence across cities, and perceptions of the elderly and other stakeholders. The study outcome is expected to provide a better understanding of the issues that need intervention and advocacy.
Screening for Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse of Elderly and Vulnerable Adults (Fact Sheet)
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force makes recommendations about the effectiveness of specific clinical preventive services for patients without related signs or symptoms. Recommendations are based on the evidence of both the benefits and harms of the service and an assessment of the balance. This Recommendation Statement recommends that clinicians screen women of childbearing age for intimate partner violence (IPV), such as domestic violence, and provide or refer women who screen positive to intervention services. At this time, current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening all elderly or vulnerable adults.
This resource links to the fact sheet that explains the final recommendation statement in plain language. To access the full report, visit http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf12/ipvelder/ipvelderfinalrs.htm
Tagalog Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Tagalog translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
This new study commissioned by NCEA highlights data sources on elder abuse in the health care, long term care, criminal justice, fiduciary, and legal services arenas, beyond adult protective services data. Such data are required as a basis for informed and enlightened social policy on the prevention and treatment of elder abuse.
The Multiple Faces of the Intersections between HIV and Violence Against Women (pdf)
"The report compiles various articles that describe the intersection of and links between violence against women and the increasing number of HIV/AIDS transmissions among women. The publishers hope to prompt discussion and efforts focused on creating integrated policies and programs that address violence against women and HIV."
Theoretical Model Development in Elder Mistreatment (pdf)
To foster theoretical model development, this article: (1) takes inventory of the empirically‐derived knowledge on elder mistreatment; (2) reviews the major theoretical approaches to the etiology of elder mistreatment; (3) proposes a new model of elder mistreatment of older adults with cognitive impairment.
Why Does Abuse Happen in Later Life?
"This forum explores the issue of elder abuse and is hosted by Diana Christen, Executive Director of the Family Life Center, a Certified Domestic/Sexual Violence Center and Emergency Shelter in Bunnell, Florida. Diana has specialized in the prevention of domestic/sexual violence for over 10 years."
Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrow’s Agenda (pdf)
"This report reviews evidence on the health issues that particularly affect girls and women throughout their life course. This report uses currently available data to draw attention to the consequences and costs of failing to address health issues at appropriate points in their lives."
Global
15 Years of the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences (pdf)
This report reviews the status of violence against women as researched in 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, and 11 communication reports published as recently as December 2008. The report focuses on reproductive health and rights, poverty, migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women refugees, trafficking, aging, and adolescent girls. It also highlights how the mandate on violence against women has changed, what has been learned, and problems still to be addressed.
Addressing Gender-based Violence: UNFPA Strategy and Framework for Action (pdf)
This report, grounded in UNFPA's overarching goal of eliminating violence against women and girls, identifies particular areas where action is most urgently needed and proposes general policy frameworks for combating gender-based violence.
AIDS Accountability Scorecard on Women 2009 (pdf)
"The first ever global scorecard analyzing country responses to the specific needs and vulnerabilities of women in the context of the AIDS epidemic. This independent assessment, developed through a comprehensive consultative process with global health experts and civil society representatives from across the world, evaluates data that all governments provide as part of the 2001 United Nations Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS."
Baseline Survey on Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Rwanda (pdf)
"This study was conducted to shed light on the magnitude of sexual and gender-based violence in Rwanda, and to determine and analyze the perceptions that communities have about the nature, causes and consequences of incidents of violence. This study also explores the subsequent actions that survivors have taken, and evaluates the role of various stakeholders in preventing and fighting sexual and gender-based violence."
Combating Acid Violence in Bangladesh, India, and Cambodia (pdf)
Acid violence is the “intentional act of violence in which perpetrators throw, spray, or pour acid onto victims' faces and bodies.” The report finds that acid violence is a form of gender-based violence because it disproportionately affects women, which is prohibited by the Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Bangladesh, India, and Cambodia are all parties to CEDAW and are under a legal obligation to undertake measures to prevent acid violence.
The report calls for the governments of Bangladesh, India, and Cambodia to fulfill their obligation to CEDAW in a number of ways. This includes the adoption of legislation to prevent attacks, provide punishment of perpetrators, and compensate victims. In all three countries, survivors face immense challenges in obtaining adequate healthcare.
This report summarizes studies that have estimated economic costs of intimate partner violence against women, and lays out a framework to measure the costs of intimate partner violence in developing countries, factoring in prevention, response, and opportunity costs.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
The Human Rights Reports cover internationally recognized individual, civil, political, and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreements. The U.S. Department of State submits reports on all countries receiving assistance and all United Nations member states to the U.S. Congress in accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Trade Act of 1974.
"This report articulates a corporate strategy for working with governments and partners in promoting gender equality."
Diamonds: Stories of Women in The Asia-Pacific Network of People Living with HIV (pdf)
"Diamonds is a compilation of the personal narratives of ten women and one girl who are HIV-positive in the Asia Pacific region. The publication is accompanied by a documentary that focuses on four of these stories."
Domestic Violence against Women (pdf)
"This briefing kit in Spanish provides concise information on violence against women (VAW) in Latin America and the Caribbean. It consists of fact sheets in easy-to understand language, and is aimed at parliamentarians to help them advance or amend legislation on VAW."
Domestic Violence Against Women in Albania (pdf)
"This qualitative report examines the prevalence of domestic violence in Albania, including forms of domestic violence and complicating factors."
Domestic Violence Has a Significant and Lasting Impact on Our Community and Beyond (pdf)
This document begins with statistics about domestic violence in the Chicago suburban area, then moves on to provide statistics on a state level, a national level, and a global level.
These publications are designed to help researchers, students, human rights practitioners, and the general public gain a better understanding of human rights. Specifically, these publications address domestic violence issues affecting women in the countries that are listed.
Domestic violence laws in Australia (pdf)
The report analyzes domestic violence legislation in all Australian States and Territories and in New Zealand in order to assist the Australian Government’s National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children. The report notes gaps and overlaps between State and Territory domestic violence protection orders and the Family Law Act 1975.
Dossier on Domestic Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean
"This publication includes a detailed balance of the work developed in Latin American and the Caribbean to eliminate violence against women. The objective of the publication is to have a tool that will help to design future activities in a more accurate way that take into account the economic, cultural and geographical women's reality of the Region in order to eliminate domestic violence. It also contains guidelines and recommendations for the future work on women’s rights for a life free of violence."
Eliminating Violence against Children (pdf)
"Jointly produced by UNICEF and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, this handbook describes measures parliamentarians can take to end violence against children: they can legislate, oversee government activities, allocate financial resources and, as leaders in their nations and communities, raise awareness of issues."
Ending Gender-Based Violence: A call for global action to involve men (pdf)
In this report, seven masculinity researchers write about masculinity in different parts of the world and about how masculinity is often linked to violence. These acts of violence are committed not only against women and children, but also against other men. The writers suggest a number of ways in which men can be involved in working to combat men’s violence.
"Highlights the 2 most prevalent types of abuse in the lives of women and girls around the world: intimate partner violence and rape. Demonstrates how world-wide gender-based violence is a major public health concern, suggesting strategies to respond."
Ending Violence Against Women: Programming for Prevention, Protection and Care (pdf)
"This handbook, intended primarily for development practitioners, provides practical points to consider when designing and implementing projects addressing violence against women. It is a collection of good practices drawn from ten case studies."
Envisioning a Regional Curriculum: Working with Boys and Men for Gender-based Violence Prevention (pdf)
This consultation brought together 21 participants from 11 countries in East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The overall objective was to discuss a coordinated regional approach to capacity development for the region with the following goals:
-Explore the body of knowledge and training materials on masculinity, gender and violence prevention
-Discuss an outline of an adaptable training curriculum to be used for subsequent capacity development activities in the region
-Define a regional approach to training /capacity development and outline next steps
Facts about Violence: U.S. Statistics & Global
"The article lists 45 facts about violence against women in the U.S. and globally along with their sources."
Facts: Intimate Partner Violence for the World Report on Violence and Health
"Describes the global epidemic of IPV in the following categories: The Extent of the Problem; The Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence; What are the Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence?; & What Can be Done to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence?"
"Themes from this meeting hosted by the Government of Norway in Oslo include: macroeconomic policies, public finance and gender-responsive budgeting, bilateral and multilateral aid, and funding the women’s movement."
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda (pdf)
"This report describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods."
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
"This report describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods."
Handbook for legislation on violence against women (pdf)
Based on the work of an expert group meeting in Vienna, United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs developed a Handbook for Legislation on Violence against Women. This Handbook intends to provide all stakeholders with detailed guidance to support the adoption and effective implementation of legislation which prevents violence against women, punishes perpetrators, and ensures the rights of survivors everywhere.
Handbook for legislation on violence against women (Russian) (pdf)
"A Russian translation of the 2009 Handbook for legislation on violence against women, a report of the expert group meeting organized by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The group studied different legislative approaches to violence against women and developed this handbook for legislation based upon best practices and lessons learned. The handbook also includes commentary on legislation on violence against women in a number of countries."
Human Rights Watch World Report 2010 (pdf)
"This 20th annual World Report summarizes human rights conditions in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide. It reflects extensive investigative work undertaken in 2009 by Human Rights Watch staff, usually in close partnership with human rights activists in the country in question."
Human Rights Watch: Reports on Violence Against Women
Lists a series of articles from around the world focusing on issues of violence against women.
Implementation of the Bulgarian Law on Protection against Domestic Violence (pdf)
"Throughout 2007, The Advocates' Women's Human Rights Program and BGRF conducted human rights monitoring to investigate implementation of the law by all principals, including the state, police, judges, prosecutors, media and NGOs. This report presents the findings and makes recommendations to improve implementation of the law. The report was produced with the support of the Oak Foundation and UNIFEM."
Integrating gender into HIV/AIDS programmes in the health sector (pdf)
"This tool helps programme managers and health-care providers in the public and private sectors integrate gender into HIV/AIDS programmes they wish to set up, implement and evaluate so they are more responsive to women's needs."
Intimate Partner Violence in China: National Prevalence, Risk Factors and Associated Health Problems
This paper presents the country’s first national estimates of domestic violence. The authors find that sexual jealousy, alcohol consumption, low female contribution to the household income and low socioeconomic status are among a range of factors that make violence more likely.
Intimate Partner Violence: High Costs to Households and Communities (pdf)
A report on the cost of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh, Morocco and Uganda. These three countries were specifically studied because they have high rates of IPV and their governments recently began to address this problem through new programs and laws. The researchers found that most women did not utilize services after experiencing IPV. The study concluded that IPV imposes huge direct costs on women and service providers in all three countries, including health, justice, police, local traditional authorities and social services, and indirect costs on women and families through lost wages and lower productivity.
Just Die Quietly: Domestic Violence and Women's Vulnerability to HIV in Uganda (pdf)
The accounts in this report reveal that Ugandan women are becoming infected with HIV, and will eventually die of AIDS, because the state is failing to protect them from domestic violence. The report informs us that HIV/AIDS programs focusing on fidelity, abstinence, and condom use do not account for the ways in which domestic violence inhibits women's control over sexual matters in marriage. The report urges the Ugandan government to enact domestic violence legislation, and to make women's health, physical integrity, and equal rights in marriage a central focus of AIDS programming.
Justice, Change and Human Rights: International Research and Responses to Domestic Violence
This paper is an analytical document synthesizing the findings across PROWID (Promoting Women In Development) supported by Office of Women In Development, USAID. Paper contributes further understanding of international prevalence of domestic violence and factors associated with them. It also examined the state of community responses to domestic violence.
Kenyan Laws and Harmful Customs Curtail Women’s Equal Enjoyment of ICESCR Rights (pdf)
"The Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya (FIDA Kenya) and the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic (IWHRC) at Georgetown University released this report as a supplement to Kenya’s latest periodic report under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The report finds that Kenyan laws and practices prevent women from attaining economic, social and cultural Rights."
"This report provides extensive research of the mail-order bride industry in the United Kingdom. The industry is linked to the promotion of trafficking, prostitution, pornography and slavery. The report suggests that this industry not only exploits vulnerable groups of women but also reinforces racial and ethnic stereotypes. Recommendations are given on what the government can do to further protect women."
Missing voices: views of older persons on elder abuse (pdf)
This study asks older persons and primary health care workers themselves a series of questions in order to understand what their perceptions are, how they themselves classify elder abuse, and what they perceive as the first steps needed for a global strategy against the abuse of older people. The findings throw new light on how to perceive and approach elder abuse.
This report focuses on the situations of women who experienced abuse in another country and came to the United States in an effort to protect themselves and their children, but who then faced civil actions in U.S. state or federal courts for child abduction under international legal agreements.
Overcoming Domestic Violence: A Global Challenge (pdf)
"The project is part of the World Council of Churches' decade on Overcoming Violence. The report contains seven chapters, beginning with the author’s recommendations from the project. The rest of the chapters place domestic violence within an international human rights framework, discuss domestic violence’s roots, its effects on development, relevant international law milestones, practical strategies culled from project experiences around the world, and the importance of monitoring development projects to ensure women’s full participation."
Pakistan: Honor Killings of Girls and Women
January 1999. First Amnesty International report ever to focus on human rights violations not committed by government agents. Reveals that hundreds of women in Pakistan are murdered each year in the name of "honor." Offers recommendations for discouraging "honor killings."
"This report documents good practices in preventing and responding to gender-based violence. The five case studies featured within document initiatives in Armenia, Romania,Turkey and the Ukraine that were implemented by governments and other partners with the support of UNFPA. Although the reports focus on initiatives in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the practices and lessons learned can be applied throughout the globe."
Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Regions of Brazil (pdf)
"This article analyzes the results from the 'WHO Multi-country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence,' on the prevalence of intimate partner violence against women in Brazil."
Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)
This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.
Profiling Domestic Violence: A Multi-Country Study
"This study examines the prevalence and correlates of domestic violence and its health consequences using nationally representative data from nine countries: Cambodia, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Haiti, India, Nicaragua, Peru, and Zambia."
Programming to Address Violence against Women (pdf)
"This is the second volume in a series that focuses on prevention and response tools for violence against women. The publication features eight case studies that highlight initiatives that have proven successful in combating violence against women: Algeria, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The UNFPA hopes to support current efforts in the eight case study countries and encourage other countries to take steps toward ending violence against women."
Progress of South Asian Women 2005 (pdf)
"The document presents a snapshot of women's situation in South Asia, an overview of the processes at work promoting the advancement of women, and identifies gaps during the period 2000–2005. Some of the challenges noted are disproportionate returns to contributions, the added "burden of care," a declining sex ratio, increased gender-based violence, trafficking of women and girls, and the spread of HIV/AIDS."
Progress of the World's Women 2000
UNIFEM's first issue in the biennial investigation of progress made towards a world where women live free from violence, poverty and inequality. Topics covered include women's economic security and rights, engendering governance and leadership and promoting women's human rights.
Progress of the World's Women 2002, Volume 2: Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals
This is the second edition of a biennial publication to track and measure the world's commitment to gender equality. It examines progress for women, or the lack of it, in education, literacy, non-agricultural wage employment and parliamentary representation.
"This document presents key findings of the consultation held in May 2008 to identify and promote approaches in national development planning, implementation and budgeting that bring real results in empowering women and reducing HIV and AIDS among women and girls. It highlights the need for a framework that links structural, social and individual determinants of gender inequality as well as presents opportunities to strengthen the focus on intersections between HIV, violence against women, and sexual and reproductive health access and rights. This publication includes a multimedia resource CD, available below for download."
Security Begins at Home (pdf)
The Kosova Women’s Network released the country’s first study on domestic violence, called Security Begins at Home. The report highlights key points such as: what the citizens of Kosovo perceive as domestic violence, the forms and consequences of domestic violence, citizens' response to ending it, and the legal and institutional gaps in addressing it.
Seeking Protection: Addressing Sexual and Domestic Violence in Tanzania's Refugee Camps
This report documents how Burundian refugee women confront daily violence in Tanzanian refugee camps.
Silence is Violence: End the Abuse of Women in Afghanistan (pdf)
A new United Nations (UN) report on women in Afghanistan that focuses on the growing trend of violence and threats against women in public life and rape/sexual violence. The report concludes that these forms of violence are a huge occurrence in the everyday lives of Afghan women and the government has a crucial role in helping to eradicate these harmful practices towards women.
State of World Population 2009 Facing a Changing World: Women, Population and Climate (pdf)
"The report shows that improving the health and education of women and girls sparks economic development, reduces poverty and slows population growth – three key ways to minimize the effects of climate change."
The Future of the Grave Risk Of Harm Defense in Hague Cases
This article discusses the future of the grave risk of harm defense in Hague Convention international child abduction cases. It provides an interpretation of the Hague Convention in the traditional view as well as in the context of domestic violence. Examples of court rulings are provided which evaluated the nature of abuse and the likelihood of legal protection in the country to which the children are being returned.
A team of Minnesota judges, attorneys, advocates and social scientists created this Bench Guide for judges who are hearing Hague Convention cases involving allegations of domestic violence. The case law in the guide is focused on the District of Minnesota, but help is available for other areas of the country who would like to adapt it.
The project seeks to increase the identification of violence against women in international parental child abduction cases processed in U.S. Courts. That identification will allow the American legal community to help protect battered mothers and their children as they cross international borders to safety in the United States. Specifically, this Web site provides information and resources for individuals, attorneys and non-lawyers who litigate or participate in cases involving the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction where domestic violence is an issue.
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Role of Men and Boys in Achieving Gender Equality (pdf)
A United Nations report that recognizes eliminating violence against women through the promotion of gender equality. The report outlines obstacles men and boys face in this struggle and identifies ways in which they can be involved in preventing violence against women.
The State of the World's Children 2009 Report
"The State of the World's Children 2009 examines critical issues in maternal and newborn health, underscoring the need to establish a comprehensive continuum of care for mothers, newborns and children. The report outlines the latest paradigms in health programming and policies for mothers and newborns, and explores policies, programmes and partnerships aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health. Africa and Asia are a key focus for this report, which complements the previous year's issue on child survival."
Third Milestones of a Global Campaign for Violence Prevention Report 2007 (pdf)
"By 2007, three of the six WHO regional committees had adopted violence prevention resolutions, more than 25 countries had developed reports and/or plans of action on violence and health, and more than 100 officially appointed health ministry focal persons were in place to prevent violence, the report finds.The report offers a five year agenda to follow-up on key recommendations."
Third Milestones of a Global Campaign for Violence Prevention Report 2007: Scaling Up
"Reviews progress that has been made in violence prevention since October 2002 and sets out what the World Health Organization and its partners can do over the next 5 years to expand programming and to demonstrate the impact of violence prevention."
Together We Must! End Violence against Women and Girls and HIV & AIDS (pdf)
"This document represents an initial effort to draw attention to the knowledge, institutional capacity and resources needed to comprehensively address the intersection between HIV & AIDS and VAWG. The aim is to stimulate debate and collaboration among practitioners and advocates around how to identify and promote effective prevention policies and practices that can be adapted to various contexts."
Towards a Common European Framework to Monitor Progress in Combating Violence Against Women (pdf)
"Contains proposals for policies and indicators that could form the basis for a tool to monitor State progress in combating violence against women, as well as case studies of European initiatives that illustrate good practices."
Trafficking in Persons Report 2009 (pdf)
"The ninth annual report seeks to increase global awareness of the human trafficking phenomenon by shedding new light on various facets of the problem and highlighting shared and individual efforts of the international community, and to encourage foreign governments to take effective action against all forms of trafficking in persons."
Transforming the National AIDS Response: Advancing Women’s Leadership and Participation (pdf)
"The second in a series of resource guides dedicated to highlighting strategies for incorporating gender equality and women’s rights into national HIV and AIDS responses. This publication discusses various approaches for advancing women’s leadership and meaningful participation of HIV-positive women in the AIDS response."
UN study on Violence Against Children
"A press release on a new effort to provide a detailed global picture of the nature, extent and causes of violence against children, and propose clear recommendations for action to prevent and reduce such violence. The study focuses on violence against children in five settings: the home and family, schools and educational settings, other institutional settings (orphanages, children in conflict with the law), the community and on the streets, and work situations. "
This study is based on qualitative research undertaken in a small community in the province of Punjab in Pakistan. The research aims to deepen understanding of male attitudes and perceptions on gender based violence and their link to masculine identity.
UNiTE to End Violence against Women: The Framework for Action (pdf)
"The overall objective is raising public awareness and increasing political will and resources for preventing and responding to all forms of violence against women and girls – in all parts of the world. The Framework for Action provides an overall “umbrella” for the efforts to be undertaken at global, regional, national and local levels. It identifies five key outcomes as benchmarks for the Campaign, to be achieved in all countries by 2015, and outlines a UN Programme of Activities and expected Outputs."
Violence Against Women in Vietnam (pdf)
This report was prepared for the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The report draws attention to the lack of ways for the victims of violence obtain reparation and identify the mechanisms guaranteeing the impunity of torturers.
Violence against Women – Facts and Figures (pdf)
"This article provides facts and figures on violence against women to illustrate the devastating toll on women’s lives, on their families, and on society as a whole."
Violence against Women: Facts and Figures
"This article provides facts and figures on violence against women to illustrate the devastating toll on women's lives, on their families, and on society as a whole."
Violence in the EU Examined (pdf)
"A report published by the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia on good practices and general recommendations for domestic violence initiatives in the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The project includes findings on sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, honor crimes, exploitation, trafficking, and other issues affecting women and children. A summary of the report’s general recommendations is also available."
Violence Prevention Alliance: Building Global Commitment for Violence Prevention (pdf)
Published by the World Health Organization, this policy paper sets out the conceptual framework, structure and goals that guide the Violence Prevention Alliance, of which CDC is a member. The paper is divided into two sections: Introducing the Violence Prevention Alliance, and Preventing violence before it occurs. The first section presents the basics of the Alliance, including the reasons behind its creation, the contribution of the health sector, and its scope, goals and working methods. The second section describes the global magnitude of interpersonal violence, discusses its known causes, risk factors and consequences, and presents theoretical tools to organize our understanding of interpersonal violence.
Waves of Violence: Women in Post-Tsunami Sri Lanka
This paper describes a community based and developed program intended to support women and to reduce the incidence of sexual and gender based violence in post-tsunami Sri Lanka. Preliminary data from the project is used to highlight some of the needs of women, as well as the challenges in addressing gender-based violence and marginalization.
WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence – Country Findings: Brazil
"This fact sheet provides information on the methods and main findings of the study, with regard to the phenomenon of intimate partner violence against women in Brazil. Data on sexual abuse and non-partner physical and sexual violence is also included."
With an End in Sight (pdf)
"With an End in Sight" narrates inspiring stories showing how groups of people are moving ahead and creating new ideas to combat violence against women. It provides knowledge, insight and hope of how violence against women can be eliminated with combined effort, compelling advocacy, and wide-reaching education.
Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrow’s Agenda (pdf)
"This report reviews evidence on the health issues that particularly affect girls and women throughout their life course. This report uses currently available data to draw attention to the consequences and costs of failing to address health issues at appropriate points in their lives."
Women and HIV/AIDS: Confronting the Crisis (pdf)
"This report documents the latest information on the current HIV/AIDS pandemic, the devastating and often invisible impact of AIDS on women and girls and highlights the ways discrimination, poverty and gender-based violence help fuel the epidemic. Most importantly, the report targets the strategies to reverse the trends."
Women in Mongolia: Mapping Progress under Transition
This publication tells of Mongolian women's experiences in the context of the political and economic transformation of their country. It shares reports of women encouraged to bear many children, inadequate health care or resources, and high rates of maternal mortality. Recommendations informed through case studies are presented for improving their social and economic status and increasing their political participation.
Women's Human Rights: A Fact Sheet (pdf)
This factsheet outlines women's human rights violations and the obligation states have to protect those rights.
Working to End Violence Against Women in Brazil
"This VAWnet special collection highlights and celebrates the tremendous work being done in Brazil to end violence against women. The selected materials and resources provide a snapshot of the magnitude of the problem and highlight various recommendations for public policy as well as opportunities for community involvement and action."
The consultation brought together approximately 65 participants from East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific and focused three objectives:
-Explore the concepts of masculinities, gender relations, and gender-based violence (GBV) – and how they are connected.
-Share promising practices and lessons learned in the region on the engagement of boys and men in gender equality and GBV prevention.
-Explore next steps to for collaboration across the region to engage boys and men in work towards gender equality and GBV prevention.
The consultation brought together participants from across South Asia and focused on three key objectives:
1. Deepen our understanding of gender, masculinities and gender-based violence in the South Asian context
2. Discuss an approach and process for working together regionally to engage boys and men in work towards gender equality and prevention of Gender-based Violence (GBV)
3. Reach agreement on next steps, roles and responsibilities for working together regionally.
Zero Tolerance: Stop the Violence Against Women and Children, Stop HIV/AIDS (pdf)
Violence is linked to HIV. Women who have experienced violence may be up to three times more likely to acquire HIV. In addition to behavioral risk factors, there are direct consequences of unprotected forced or coerced sex, and this is compounded by global HIV/AIDS policies that fail to take seriously the realities facing women and girls. Fear of violence can prevent women from seeking VCT, disclosing their serostatus, and receiving treatment when it is needed.
Health/Medical profession
Building Academic Capacity and Expertise in the Health Effects of Violence and Abuse (pdf)
This report was created from the Proceedings from a Pre-Conference Symposium at the Family Violence Prevention Fund which offers a blueprint on advancing professional health education from a perspective on the health effects on violence and abuse.
"This report provides an analysis of patterns of human rights abuses against women who are exposed to the risk of or are already living with HIV in rural contexts of widespread poverty and unemployment."
15 Years of the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences (pdf)
This report reviews the status of violence against women as researched in 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, and 11 communication reports published as recently as December 2008. The report focuses on reproductive health and rights, poverty, migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women refugees, trafficking, aging, and adolescent girls. It also highlights how the mandate on violence against women has changed, what has been learned, and problems still to be addressed.
OCDV and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene developed a training and reference guide for healthcare providers as part of a campaign to reduce cultural, linguistic and systemic barriers preventing domestic violence victims, particularly immigrant women and women of color, from reporting abuse to their healthcare providers.
"This publication contains practical steps needed to integrate measures on gender based violence into reproductive health facilities. It is also meant to help a wider range of readers to understand the connections between reproductive and sexual health and violence. While the Programme Guide is targeting primarily health service providers, it can also be used as a reference guide for advocacy purposes or to undertake other activities in this area."
Also available in French and Russian
A Prevention Primer for Domestic Violence: Terminology, Tools, and the Public Health Approach
This document provides an introduction to basic prevention concepts by exploring the public health approach, two classification systems, a planning tool used to develop more comprehensive initiatives, and the importance of understanding terminology.
Abuse of Pregnant Women and Adverse Birth Outcome: Current Knowledge and Implications for Practice
This study summarizes the prevalence of abuse among women who are pregnant and the subsequent implications associated with their delivery and the health of the newborn infant.
Achieving Equity for Women: Policy Alternatives for the New Administration Symposium Report (pdf)
"This report summarizes the policy research symposium convened by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research and the Wellesley Centers for Women, held in Washington, DC on April 2, 2009. The symposium highlighted four policy areas in which public policy can work to improve the status of women in the United States: women and economic recovery; retirement, social security and aging; quality early care and education; and women and health care reform."
Additional Scripts for Clinic Assessment (pdf)
This document is created for healthcare professionals and provides a series of scripted questions and responses when working with victims of violence. The information is intended to help communicate all the information needed to give to a patient as well as responding to immediate safety issues and making referrals.
Addressing Gender-based Violence: UNFPA Strategy and Framework for Action (pdf)
This report, grounded in UNFPA's overarching goal of eliminating violence against women and girls, identifies particular areas where action is most urgently needed and proposes general policy frameworks for combating gender-based violence.
Addressing the Intersection: Preventing Violence and Promoting Healthy Eating and Active Living (pdf)
"This document provides an explanation of the inter-relationship between violence and healthy eating and activity. The findings and recommendations offered in this paper can support practitioners and advocates in their work to prevent chronic disease in communities heavily impacted by violence. "
Addressing Violence against Women and Girls in Sexual and Reproductive Health Services
This article focuses on the integration of resources to address gender-based violence against women and girls into the existing health care services. The review of the literature aims to provide guidance to health sector program designers and managers in order to facilitate integration.
Advancing the Nation's Health: A Guide to Public Health Research Needs, 2006-2015 (pdf)
"This guide is meant to serve as a critical resource for research areas that should be addressed during the next decade by CDC and its partners in response to current and future public health needs and events."
"This report indicates that persons who report having experienced IPV during their lifetimes also are more likely to report current adverse health conditions and health risk behaviors, underscoring the need for IPV assessment in health-care settings."
AIDS Accountability Scorecard on Women 2009 (pdf)
"The first ever global scorecard analyzing country responses to the specific needs and vulnerabilities of women in the context of the AIDS epidemic. This independent assessment, developed through a comprehensive consultative process with global health experts and civil society representatives from across the world, evaluates data that all governments provide as part of the 2001 United Nations Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS."
A March 2000 report intended to be more than a five-year review of progress since the Beijing Conference. It is intended as a resource document, a reference tool that will help serve as a guide through the maze of government agencies and programs, both general programs and women-specific ones, that benefit women.
American Medical Association Violence Prevention Information
Link to section of AMA website that includes information on Preparing your Practice to Address Family Violence, AMA violence-related reports and policies, Youth Violence Prevention Training and Outreach Guide, and other violence and abuse resources.
An Assessment of Minnesota's Health Care and Public Health Response to Violence Against Women (pdf)
Examines the prevention of violence against women through literature, current policy and practices and lists recommendations for change.
Offers information to health care providers and counselors on the importance of screening for reproductive coercion. Also offers a framework for assessing and responding to sensitive reproductive information.
Assessment for Lifetime Exposure to Violence as a Pathway to Prevention
Provides a brief overview of the research on lifetime exposure to violence and the long-term health consequences of violence. It also examines how assessment for lifetime exposure to violence can create a pathway to prevention and addresses the long-term consequences of exposure to violence over the lifespan.
Before it Occurs: Primary Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse
Focusing on primary prevention and applying lessons learned from past successes, our chapter presents a framework for meaningful health sector involvement in initiating the environmental change necessary to stop intimate partner violence and abuse before it occurs.
A paper on the impact of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, and exposure to family violence on the sexual, reproductive, and parenting behaviors of young men.
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (pdf)
"A guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in Spanish."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (Spanish) (pdf)
"The first ever guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in English."
Building Bridges Between Domestic Violence Advocates and Healthcare Providers
This paper addresses the role of domestic violence advocates as they face new challenges in the field of health care, with growing demands to provide health care-based training, interventions, and policy initiatives.
This report provides recommendations regarding public health surveillance and research on violence against women developed during a workshop, "Building Data Systems for Monitoring and Responding to Violence Against Women." The Workshop, which was convened October 29--30, 1998, was co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Building Domestic Violence Health Care Responses: A Promising Practices Report (pdf)
"A new report that documents dramatic improvements in the health system’s response to domestic violence at Indian, Tribal and Urban health care facilities across the United States. It offers a series of recommendations to continue the progress and ensure that many more American Indian/Alaska Native domestic violence victims get the help that they need when they seek medical care at clinics and hospitals."
Case Studies in Partner Violence
Discusses that interpersonal violence and abuse, especially between relatives and domestic partners, are leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Published in American Family Physician.
Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: Statistics and Interventions (pdf)
"This 2008 brief report presents statistical information on maltreatment-related fatalities of children including who are the victims and perpetrators and how communities often respond. "
"Abuse studies from the author’s laboratory, studies of children in orphanages who lacked emotional contact, and a large number of animal deprivation and enrichment studies point to the need for children and young nonhuman mammals to have both stable emotional attachments with and touch from primary adult caregivers, and spontaneous interactions with peers. If these connections are lacking, brain development both of caring behavior and cognitive capacities is damaged in a lasting fashion. The effects of the childhood environment, favorable or unfavorable, interact with all the processes of neurodevelopment."
Community Survey Project: Factors That Influence Disclosure of Domestic Abuse to Providers
The Whatcom County Domestic Violence Comprehensive Plan, completed by the Bellingham-Whatcom County Commission Against Domestic Violence in June 2000, identified the need for increased knowledge about experiences of victims and survivors of domestic violence, as they interface with Whatcom County community and health care providers. To find out more about how victims experience the prospect of disclosing domestic violence to providers, the commission surveyed 1081 women in the county.
Culture Handbook for working with those who have experienced sexual or domestic violence (pdf)
"This handbook is designed to be used by advocates and professionals who work with those who are victims of domestic and sexual violence. It provides some basic information on how to understand culture and begin the process of challenging oneself to become more aware of the ways in which culture impacts our work and the lives of those who are victims."
Detecting, Addressing and Preventing Elder Abuse in Residential Care Facilities (pdf)
"This study focused on detection, investigation, and resolution of elder abuse and neglect complaints in what are known as residential care facilities."
Developmental Status and Early Intervention Service Needs of Maltreated Children (pdf)
"In this report, published by the Institute for Social and Economic Development, the authors analyze findings from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study and the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. They provide information about the developmental status and early intervention service needs of children under age three who are substantiated for maltreatment. Topics include: 1) the extent to which maltreated children have developmental problems or are subject to factors associated with poor developmental outcomes; 2) the services maltreated children might be eligible for and ones they receive through the child welfare systems; 3) case characteristics, such as child welfare setting, that impact the effect of developmental services; and 4) existing barriers to services."
Diamonds: Stories of Women in The Asia-Pacific Network of People Living with HIV (pdf)
"Diamonds is a compilation of the personal narratives of ten women and one girl who are HIV-positive in the Asia Pacific region. The publication is accompanied by a documentary that focuses on four of these stories."
Did You Know Your Relationship Affects Your Health? (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
Did You Know Your Relationship Affects Your Health? (Spanish) (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
Documenting Domestic Violence: How Health Care Providers Can Help Victims
This Research in Brief outlines how health care providers can improve the admissibility of evidence and strengthen a case for domestic violence victims.
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls
"Highlights issues of abuse; femicide; forced prostitution; sexual abuse of children; sex-selective abortion, female infanticide and differential access to food and medical care; and, traditional and cultural practices that affect women's health and lives."
Domestic Violence Against Women in Albania (pdf)
"This qualitative report examines the prevalence of domestic violence in Albania, including forms of domestic violence and complicating factors."
Domestic Violence and Children: A Children's Health Fund Report (pdf)
The author discusses domestic violence as a pediatric issue highlighting the number of children exposed to domestic violence each year and the consequences of such exposure.
Domestic Violence and Health Care
"This special collection on health care and domestic violence draws heavily from the work of the Family Violence Prevention Fund's Health Resource Center. The resources included in this special collection are organized into the following five areas: 1) the impact of domestic violence on health; 2) public health approaches to domestic violence prevention; 3) guidelines and issues concerning identification and intervention by health care providers; 4) information about collaboration between health care providers and domestic violence advocates; and 5) training. This special collection also includes a bibliography of related journal articles."
Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence in Minnesota: Strategies for Prevention and Intervention (pdf)
This planning tool addresses the issue of domestic and sexual violence as they relate to health care and public health in Minnesota.
Domestic Violence in Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual Communities: Participant Manual (pdf)
This manual gives health and human service providers the knowledge and skills necessary to sensitively and effectively respond to LGTB victims of domestic violence.
Domestic Violence in Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual Communities: Trainers Manual (pdf)
This manual gives trainers for health and human service providers the knowledge and skills necessary to sensitively and effectively respond to LGTB victims of domestic violence.
Domestic Violence is associated with environmental suppression of IQ in young children
The researchers document the consequences of early childhood stress, such as exposure to domestic violence, on brain development, which subsequently can lead to a lower IQ.
Domestic Violence: A medical perspective
This article found on Medscape provides an overview of domestic violence (including its pathophysiology and epidemiology), the clinical presentation of DV, its diagnosis, treatment and follow-up, all from a medical perspective.
Domestic Violence: A Primary Care Issue for Rural Women
This article underscores the role of a primary health care provider for rural women who experience domestic violence.
Economic Violence To Women and Girls: Is It Receiving the Necessary Attention? (pdf)
"This paper seeks to draw attention to the types of economic violence experienced by women, and describes its consequences on health and development. Recommendations for practice, policy, and research are also given."
Eliminating the Rape Kit Backlog
"This special online collection provides information to help victim service professionals engage in a multi-disciplinary dialogue about the issues and challenges involved with addressing the backlog of untested rape kits."
Eliminating Violence against Children (pdf)
"Jointly produced by UNICEF and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, this handbook describes measures parliamentarians can take to end violence against children: they can legislate, oversee government activities, allocate financial resources and, as leaders in their nations and communities, raise awareness of issues."
Employment and Domestic Violence
"This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, bibliographies, fact sheets, laws and court action, papers, regulations, reports and surveys relating to domestic violence and employment. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in employment issues related to ending violence against women. "
"Highlights the 2 most prevalent types of abuse in the lives of women and girls around the world: intimate partner violence and rape. Demonstrates how world-wide gender-based violence is a major public health concern, suggesting strategies to respond."
Engaging Boys and Men in Gender Transformation: The Group Education Manual (pdf)
"This manual offers trainers an array of participatory experiential exercises to reach men (and their partners), exploring gender socialization and its impact on HIV prevention and care. Piloted in Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania, the manual is designed to assist trainers in developing curricula to work with men and boys on gender, HIV and AIDS issues."
Evaluating Domestic Violence Programs
This quality assessment tool for the evaluation of hospital-based domestic violence programs was developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and cosponsored by the Family Violence Prevention Fund to improve the health care response to victims of domestic violence.
Fact Sheet: Domestic Violence and Pregnancy (pdf)
"Highlights the prevalence, risks, and lethality of violence against pregnant women."
Family Violence Nursing Curriculum
While nurses must be able to respond skillfully to victims of all types of violence, responding to victims of family violence requires sensitivity rooted in understanding how it differs from other types of violence. The content of this curriculum, which grew out of the 1999 American Association of Colleges of Nursing competencies, was developed in response to those findings to provide Minnesota nursing faculty essential curricular information to develop student competence in preventing, assessing, and responding to family violence across the lifespan.
Family Violence: An Intervention Model for Dental Professionals (pdf)
Efforts to strengthen responses by health care professionals to family violence have increased dramatically in recent years. As a result, more health care providers are able to recognize the signs of abuse and assist patients who are victims. However, dental professionals appear to be the least likely of all clinicians to suspect and intervene in family violence, even though injuries to the head and neck are present in 60 percent or more of abuse cases. Although they may see abuse-related injuries during patient visits, dental professionals typically have not been trained to recognize the causes of these injuries or how to offer intervention and referrals to patients. This bulletin describes a training model that teaches dental professionals how to recognize symptoms and patterns of abuse, create a safe environment for disclosure, intervene appropriately, refer patients to appropriate services, and file mandatory reports. The bulletin also underscores the importance of including dental professionals in community efforts to coordinate response to family violence.
HIV counseling and testing offer numerous opportunities for providers to introduce the issue of domestic violence and to ask persons seeking testing relevant screening questions.
It profiles promising programs that address domestic violence at community health care organizations. This document is designed to encourage primary health care providers to treat domestic violence among their client base and to engage providers, administrators, policymakers and others in a coordinated, community-wide response to domestic violence.
Health Care Costs Associated with Violence in Pennsylvania (pdf)
"Reports the impact of violence in Pennsylvania including interpersonal violence (homicide, aggravated assault, rape) domestic violence (partner, child and elder abuse) and self-directed violence (suicide and attempted suicide)."
Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day: Organizing Packet
Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day (HCADV Day) is a nationally recognized awareness-raising day that takes place annually on the second Wednesday of October. It aims to reach members of the healthcare community and educate them about the critical importance of assessing for domestic violence, as well as the long term health implications of domestic violence and lifetime exposure to violence. While the information provided in this packet is targeted for one specific day, much of the information can be used for awareness and training throughout the year as well.
Health Privacy Principles for Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence
Since women often interact with the health care system for routine or emergency care before they turn to law enforcement or other domestic violence services, health care professionals are in the unique position to identify abuse and intervene early on. This report discusses working with domestic violence advocates and service providers to respond to victims of domestic violence through screening, assessment, documentation, intervention, and referral.
Helping Children Cope with Violence: A School-Based Program That Works (pdf)
Violence is one of our most significant public health issues. Children exposed to violence frequently develop post-traumatic stress symptoms. They are more likely to have behavioral problems, poorer school performance, more days of school absence, and feelings of depression and anxiety. School officials are often willing to provide help at school. But these professionals face an important question: What works? There have been no randomized controlled trials of intervention effectiveness with which to answer this question. To fill this gap, a team of clinician-researchers from several institutions collaborated to develop, implement, and evaluate an intervention designed to help children traumatized by violence. The team included professionals from the RAND Corporation, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
Helping with Domestic Violence: Legal Barriers to Serving Teens in Illinois (pdf)
November 2000. Report based on focus groups and interviews with a total of 110 service providers and teen groups in 1999-2000 to determine why so few services were available for teen victims of domestic violence. This research isolated a variety of Illinois laws and regulations that served as barriers. Subsequent review of laws in other states found that on some issues Illinois laws were more helpful to minors, but that in several key instances Illinois laws are in need of change. This report focuses on legal barriers to providing services to teen victims of domestic violence, specifically those that affect access to transitional and long-term housing, orders of protection for domestic violence, and health and mental health services.
Helping Young Children Affected by Domestic Violence: The Role of Pediatric Health Settiings (pdf)
This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses importance of pediatric health care and mental health care in addressing domestic violence.
A screening tool designed to be used by professionals who are not TBI experts, but can assess for possible head trauma or injury resulting from domestic violence.
HIV Positive Women Report More Partner Violence (pdf)
The paper examines violence as a risk factor for HIV infection that must be addressed through multilevel prevention approaches.
How To Integrate Assessment for Violence and Reproductive Coercion Into Clinical Practice (pdf)
A resource for healthcare providers which outlines points to train staff working with victims of violence and reproductive coercion.
Human Rights Dialogue: Violence Against Women (pdf)
This special edition of the magazine explores how women's advocates are challenging the public/private divide, the cultural and religious objections to granting women's rights, and the common blindness to linkages between violence against women and the deprivation of other rights, specifically economic and social rights.
The guidelines offered here provide specific recommendations for screening and responding to domestic violence in child health settings, which provide a unique and important opportunity to screen for domestic violence and to educate parents about the impact of such violence on children. These guidelines also speak to the need for child health providers to engage in, model, and take leadership in delivering effective primary prevention of domestic violence, as well as other types of family and community violence, by highlighting violence prevention during well child and other routine visits, as a component of routine anticipatory guidance.
Implementing Intimate Partner Violence Screening in Family Planning Centers
This article describes the process of implementing and revising intimate partner violence screening in three large, urban family planning centers over a decade. Monitoring, research, and improvements to the process over the past decade are discussed along with future directions for research and practice.
Improving the Health Care Response to Domestic Violence: A Resource Manual for Health Care Providers
This manual provides health care providers with a wide range of information and tools necessary to become more effective in domestic violence identification, intervention and prevention.
"This Trainer's Manual was developed to help health care providers and domestic violence advocates meet the challenge of training clinicians and other staff within the busy clinic or hospital setting. The Manual provides step-by-step instructions for teaching each section of the Resource Manual including the basics of domestic violence, clinical skills, legal issues, community resources, and role play scenarios. It also includes a special module on cultural diversity."
The purpose of this report is to capture and publish information from an exhaustive needs assessment process conducted over a period of nine months. In Their Own Words is the work of over 200 courageous women and men in the State of Maine who have dared to hope that the truth and wisdom of their experience will be heard by those in power, and that Maine’s mental health and human service systems will respond to the long ignored plight of children and adults traumatized by histories of interpersonal violence.
Integrating gender into HIV/AIDS programmes in the health sector (pdf)
"This tool helps programme managers and health-care providers in the public and private sectors integrate gender into HIV/AIDS programmes they wish to set up, implement and evaluate so they are more responsive to women's needs."
Intersecting Inequalities: Immigrant Women of Colour, Violence and Health Care (pdf)
This report focuses on racialized immigrant women who have experienced intimate violence and their access to the health care system. The paper reviews current literature and identifies key variables that contribute to immigrant women's vulnerability to violence and lack of access to health care. The response of health care service providers is also examined.
Intimate or Childhood Sexual Abuse and Obesity in Kentucky
This study concluded that sexual abuse, whether experienced as an adult or child, was associated with a 32% increase in obesity among 4,391 women in Kentucky. The study also found that intimate partner violence and obesity are common health threats for women. The authors suggest that efforts to prevent physical and sexual abuse and mental health consequences of abuse on victims can have implications to improve women's health.
Intimate Partner Homicide (pdf)
This issue of the NIJ Journal focuses on a single important topic—homicides committed by the victim’s spouse or other intimate partner. Women are most likely to be the victim in these cases of intimate partner homicide. An overview on page 2 reflects the range of ideas the authors discuss, from aspects of the problem (such as risk factors and the effect of alcohol abuse) to possible steps toward reducing the number of incidents (such as the effectiveness of domestic violence services and the use of fatality reviews). The articles shed new light on a type of crime that continues to have serious social consequences and to present challenges to law enforcement and health providers.
Intimate Partner Violence and Healthy People 2010 Fact Sheet (pdf)
This paper draws statistics from a growing body of research that has linked intimate partner violence (IPV) to many of the leading health indicators defined in the federal Healthy People 2010 initiative. The Healthy People 2010 Leading Health Indicators covered in this fact sheet include: Overweight and Obesity, Tobacco Use, Substance Abuse, Responsible Sexual Behavior, Mental Health, Injury and Violence, Immunization, and Access to Health Care.
"This compilation includes existing tools for assessing intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence (SV) victimization in clinical/healthcare settings. The purpose of this compilation is to provide practitioners and clinicians with the most current inventory of assessment tools for determining IPV and/or SV victimization and to inform decisions about which instruments are most appropriate for use with a given population. This document will aid in the selection of assessment instruments to identify victims requiring additional services. This can help practitioners make appropriate referrals for both victims and perpetrators. "
Intimate Partner Violence in China: National Prevalence, Risk Factors and Associated Health Problems
This paper presents the country’s first national estimates of domestic violence. The authors find that sexual jealousy, alcohol consumption, low female contribution to the household income and low socioeconomic status are among a range of factors that make violence more likely.
Intimate Partner Violence: High Costs to Households and Communities (pdf)
A report on the cost of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh, Morocco and Uganda. These three countries were specifically studied because they have high rates of IPV and their governments recently began to address this problem through new programs and laws. The researchers found that most women did not utilize services after experiencing IPV. The study concluded that IPV imposes huge direct costs on women and service providers in all three countries, including health, justice, police, local traditional authorities and social services, and indirect costs on women and families through lost wages and lower productivity.
This guidebook is designed to help physicians and other health care professionals improve their ability to respond to the needs of patients who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). Knowing what to ask in order to “diagnose” IPV in the course of routine clinical care is a necessary skill in nearly every medical field and specialty. Even more important, however, is developing skills to assess, document, and intervene with sensitivity, compassion, and respect so this important health issue can be addressed optimally in the context of everyday clinical care. Because physicians and other health care providers are often the first and sometimes the only professionals survivors of violence encounter, they can play a crucial role in breaking the cycle of violence and working toward prevention.
Just Die Quietly: Domestic Violence and Women's Vulnerability to HIV in Uganda (pdf)
The accounts in this report reveal that Ugandan women are becoming infected with HIV, and will eventually die of AIDS, because the state is failing to protect them from domestic violence. The report informs us that HIV/AIDS programs focusing on fidelity, abstinence, and condom use do not account for the ways in which domestic violence inhibits women's control over sexual matters in marriage. The report urges the Ugandan government to enact domestic violence legislation, and to make women's health, physical integrity, and equal rights in marriage a central focus of AIDS programming.
Kenyan Laws and Harmful Customs Curtail Women’s Equal Enjoyment of ICESCR Rights (pdf)
"The Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya (FIDA Kenya) and the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic (IWHRC) at Georgetown University released this report as a supplement to Kenya’s latest periodic report under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The report finds that Kenyan laws and practices prevent women from attaining economic, social and cultural Rights."
Knowledge for Health (K4Health) works to improve access to and sharing of global, regional, and country-specific public health knowledge, particularly about family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH).
Making Sense of DNA Backlogs — Myths vs. Reality (pdf)
A special report that addresses the question of why backlogs of DNA evidence awaiting testing persist even after the federal government has provided hundreds of millions of dollars to eliminate them. The report provides an understanding of what a backlog is and how backlogs can be reduced.
"A study conducted through in-depth interviews with 71 women aged 18-49 who had a history of intimate partner violence. Findings include male reproductive control which encompasses pregnancy-promoting behaviors as well as control and abuse during pregnancy in an attempt to influence the pregnancy outcome. Recommendations include assessing for male reproductive control among women seeking reproductive health services, including antenatal care, so that health care providers may be able to provide education, care, and counseling to help women protect their reproductive health and physical safety."
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect: State Statutes and Professional Ethics (pdf)
A comprehensive listing of state statutes on mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect. Also included is a listing of reporting requirements and code of ethics for professionals in various fields.
Mobilizing Religious Communities to Respond to Gender-based Violence and HIV: A Training Manual (pdf)
The first in a series of two manuals aimed at raising awareness and educating religious leaders and communities about gender-based violence. The training manual equips religious communities with tools to deepen their awareness and understanding of gender-based violence and its link to HIV and proposes faith-based activities on the subject.
Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Handling Cases of Forced Marriage (pdf)
"This report lists warning signs and appropriate actions for teachers and other school employees to take when they suspect a forced marriage of a child is imminent. The report also contains guidelines for police officers, health care professionals, and social workers, and provides general information on good practices when caring for victims of forced marriage."
Nursing Education and Violence Prevention, Detection and Intervention (pdf)
This document presents an overview of the recent literature on the education of nurses in the area of violence prevention, detection and intervention. The goal is to inform educators, researchers and policy makers about gaps in educations services and areas of needed research.
On the Road to Equality: Statewide Findings & Policy Recommendations (pdf)
"A supplement to the Status of Girls in Minnesota report by the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota in partnership with the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Focus groups were conducted in 18 Minnesota communities that included African American, Latino, Native American, Asian American, LBT (Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender), and disabilities communities — to share key research findings and gain community input. This report captures the voices and policy recommendations of these communities, nonprofit and public leaders."
Physical Dating Violence Among High School Students - United States, 2003
A surveillance report in brief of physical dating violence among high school students and selected characteristics.
Physicians and Domestic Violence: Challenges for Prevention (pdf)
The author discusses a need for health care professionals to invest their efforts in the fight against domestic violence.
Pregnancy coercion, intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy (pdf)
In surveying females ages 16–29 years seeking care in five family planning clinics in Northern California, pregnancy coercion and birth control sabotage were found to be common among young women utilizing family planning clinics. In the context of partner violence, these findings are associated with increased risk for unintended pregnancy.
Preliminary Adaptations for Working with Traumatized Latino/Hispanic Children and Their Families (pdf)
The Culture and Trauma Briefs series serves to
support the NCTSN commitment to raising
the standard of care for traumatized children,
their families, and their communities by
highlighting the diversity of needs and
experiences of those children, families, and
communities.
This report was developed through information gathered via a preliminary focus group of bilingual/bicultural therapists at a children's hospital in California to address the needs of diverse Latino populations seeking care.
Preventing and Responding to Domestic & Sexual Violence in Later Life
"This special collection brings together selected materials related to preventing and responding to elder abuse, specifically domestic and sexual violence. It highlights the complexities of older people's DV/SV experiences and emphasizes collaborative and multi-pronged approaches to addressing DV/SV in later life."
Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence
This special collection emphasizes collaborative and multilevel approaches to the prevention of, and response to, teen dating violence. It draws on the work of many organizations and organizes the resources on TDV prevention and responses by different populations.
Preventing Domestic Violence: Clinical Guidelines on Routine Screening (pdf)
In this document, recommendations for how domestic violence screening should occur within the health care system and recommends that all health care institutions and practitioners follow these guidelines which include both a general policy statement and specific recommendations.
Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)
This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.
Profiling Domestic Violence: A Multi-Country Study
"This study examines the prevalence and correlates of domestic violence and its health consequences using nationally representative data from nine countries: Cambodia, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Haiti, India, Nicaragua, Peru, and Zambia."
Programming to Address Violence against Women (pdf)
"This is the second volume in a series that focuses on prevention and response tools for violence against women. The publication features eight case studies that highlight initiatives that have proven successful in combating violence against women: Algeria, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The UNFPA hopes to support current efforts in the eight case study countries and encourage other countries to take steps toward ending violence against women."
"This document presents key findings of the consultation held in May 2008 to identify and promote approaches in national development planning, implementation and budgeting that bring real results in empowering women and reducing HIV and AIDS among women and girls. It highlights the need for a framework that links structural, social and individual determinants of gender inequality as well as presents opportunities to strengthen the focus on intersections between HIV, violence against women, and sexual and reproductive health access and rights. This publication includes a multimedia resource CD, available below for download."
Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)
"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "
Psychological Maltreatment of Women Inventory
This tool was created by Dr. Tolman for use in research on woman abuse. The questionnaire (PMWI-Female version) asks about actions that women experience in their relationships with their intimate partner.
Rationale for and Development of the Computerized Intimate Partner Violence Screen for Primary Care (pdf)
Computerized screening for intimate partner violence has the potential of overcoming significant barriers to routine screening in the primary care setting. Opportunities, challenges, and experiences with implementing a computerized intimate partner violence screen are described in this article.
Realizing the Promise of Home Visitation: Addressing Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment (pdf)
"This guide is intended to help policy makers and advocates build a strong national policy framework to maximize the effectiveness and reach of early childhood home visiting programs. It is intended to ensure that federal home visiting policies directly address: the needs of mothers and children who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing domestic violence, the link between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect, and the impact of domestic violence on the health and well-being of children and families."
This paper examines the context of intimate partner violence in Sub-Saharan Africa, outlines the intersections between partner violence and reproductive health, and considers the opportunities for linkage at the program and service levels. In addition, it explores the opportunities and challenges related to developing an active response to domestic violence within reproductive health services in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Reproductive Justice & Violence Against Women: Understanding the Intersections
"The purpose of this special collection is to provide resources and an introduction to reproductive justice, focusing particularly on the connections between the elimination of reproductive oppression and domestic and sexual violence."
Researching Violence Against Women: A Practical Guide for Researchers and Activists
An in depth look at the issue of violence against women as a health issue and suggests tools for using research and developing data assessing this issue.
Screening for Domestic Violence Changed My Practice: An Interview with Leigh Kimberg, MD (pdf)
From the Summer 1999 volume of Health Alert, the National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence semi-annual newsletter.
Shattered Hearts: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of American Indian Women and Girls in Minnesota (pdf)
A groundbreaking report released by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) highlights the alarming and pervasive sex trafficking of American Indian women and girls in Minnesota. The first comprehensive report of its kind, it highlights risk factors for victims that include poverty, a disproportionate number of American Indian homeless, high incidences of overall sexual assault, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and pervasive multi-generational trauma.
Should Health Professionals Screen All Women for Domestic Violence?
This article is a discussion between two opposing viewpoints on the use of routine universal screening of women for domestic violence in health care settings.
State of World Population 2009 Facing a Changing World: Women, Population and Climate (pdf)
"The report shows that improving the health and education of women and girls sparks economic development, reduces poverty and slows population growth – three key ways to minimize the effects of climate change."
"This 2008 report provides detailed information on the status of girls in Minnesota. It also serves as a tool for advocates, researchers, and policy makers in developing a set of interventions that will ensure girls’ economic, social, and political equality in the state. "
Surveillance for Violent Deaths -- National Violent Death Reporting System, 16 States, 2005
"This report summarizes data from CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) regarding violent deaths from 16 U.S. states for 2005. Results are reported by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, marital status, location of injury, method of injury, circumstances of injury, and other selected characteristics."
This report examines the links between eating disorders and violence against women and girls. It is based on information gathered from published literature as well as consultations with community workers, health practitioners, and mental health professionals. “Swallowing the Hurt” has been designed for use by frontline workers, health care and social service professionals, educators, and researchers who offer services directly for or who may interact with women and girls experiencing eating disorders or violence.
The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of domestic violence among female patients and to identify clinical characteristics that are associated with current domestic violence.
This new study commissioned by NCEA highlights data sources on elder abuse in the health care, long term care, criminal justice, fiduciary, and legal services arenas, beyond adult protective services data. Such data are required as a basis for informed and enlightened social policy on the prevention and treatment of elder abuse.
The Business Case for Domestic Violence Programs in Health Care Settings
Physicians for a Violence-Free Society and Futures Without Violence worked together to develop this model business case for domestic violence programs. The business case includes a power point presentation you can use to give an overview of domestic violence and make the case for health care response programs. It also includes the Excel-based return on investment (ROI) tool that facilitates analysis of the financial returns that can be anticipated with a domestic violence program. In addition, this guidebook is designed to help users of the ROI tool make the best estimates of costs for their own unique circumstances.
The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across the Lifespan
"This document summarizes the available research on childhood stress and its long-term consequences. Of particular interest is the stress caused by child abuse, neglect, and repeated exposure to intimate partner violence."
The Factors Associated with Disclosure of Intimate Partner Abuse to Clinicians
The goal of this research was to identify the prevalence, determinants of, and barriers to clinician-patient communication about intimate partner abuse. In the end, clinician inquiry appears to be one of the strongest determinants of communication with patients about partner abuse.
The Facts on Health Care & Domestic Violence (pdf)
"Statistics on domestic violence incidents highlighting health consequences to the victim, children's health issues, hospital and other health service costs, identification and screening practices in health care settings, and domestic violence during and after pregnancy."
The Facts on Reproductive Health and Violence Against Women (pdf)
This fact sheet provides information and statistics on teen and adult unintended pregnancies, contraception use, sexually transmitted infections, and violence during pregnancy.
The Health Costs of Violence: Measuring the burden of disease caused by intimate partner violence (pdf)
This publication is a summary of a study conducted to assess the health impact of intimate partner violence on women. While focusing on health, it complements a vast body of evidence demonstrating the serious social and economic consequences of intimate partner violence for individuals, families and communities.
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
"This article provides an overview of the current recommendations for HIV testing and counseling and IPV screening and discusses issues germane to providing services to persons at risk for both HIV and IPV. The article concludes with considerations for practice and policy."
The Multiple Faces of the Intersections between HIV and Violence Against Women (pdf)
"The report compiles various articles that describe the intersection of and links between violence against women and the increasing number of HIV/AIDS transmissions among women. The publishers hope to prompt discussion and efforts focused on creating integrated policies and programs that address violence against women and HIV."
This document examines the relationship between intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy. This paper also calls on reproductive health programs to incorporate screenings for intimate partner violence among patients.
The Role of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner in the Prosecution of Domestic Violence Cases (pdf)
"This document examines the basic components of the domestic violence medico-legal examination; the potential for using findings from the medico-legal examination in prosecutions; and the role of the prosecutor and other Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) members in expanding forensic nursing programs to include care of the domestic violence victim."
The Safe Start Center Series on Children Exposed to Violence: Pediatric Care Settings (pdf)
This issue brief translates emerging research and program practice into action steps for practitioners in pediatric care settings to design and implement programs that meet the needs of children who are exposed to violence.
The State of the World's Children 2009 Report
"The State of the World's Children 2009 examines critical issues in maternal and newborn health, underscoring the need to establish a comprehensive continuum of care for mothers, newborns and children. The report outlines the latest paradigms in health programming and policies for mothers and newborns, and explores policies, programmes and partnerships aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health. Africa and Asia are a key focus for this report, which complements the previous year's issue on child survival."
Thinking About Homicide Risk: A Practice Framework for Counseling
This paper proposes a multi-systemic practice framework to help counselors assess for and respond to homicide risk in family violence contexts. The framework outlines the four main system domains that counselors may need to address: the client system; the therapeutic relationship; the organizational context; and the system of services.
Third Milestones of a Global Campaign for Violence Prevention Report 2007 (pdf)
"By 2007, three of the six WHO regional committees had adopted violence prevention resolutions, more than 25 countries had developed reports and/or plans of action on violence and health, and more than 100 officially appointed health ministry focal persons were in place to prevent violence, the report finds.The report offers a five year agenda to follow-up on key recommendations."
"Using semi-structured interviewing of female domestic abuse survivors and health care providers, this study investigated relationships between female domestic abuse victims' (1) abusive environments, (2) health perceptions and needs, and (3) access to and use of health care services. The results provide evidence that the abusive partner and the health care system are the two major barriers that women face in seeking medical attention for abuse- and non-abuse-related illnesses."
This is a good introduction to advocacy concepts used when working with victims of intimate violence, rape and child abuse. It is designed for use both as a workshop outline and as a guide for direct interactions with individual clients.
Together We Must! End Violence against Women and Girls and HIV & AIDS (pdf)
"This document represents an initial effort to draw attention to the knowledge, institutional capacity and resources needed to comprehensively address the intersection between HIV & AIDS and VAWG. The aim is to stimulate debate and collaboration among practitioners and advocates around how to identify and promote effective prevention policies and practices that can be adapted to various contexts."
This article describes how a self-assessment of maternal and child health programs in a state health department led to a statewide training initiative on domestic violence, sexual assault, and reproductive coercion for family planning providers. Key training concepts, lessons learned, and future directions are discussed.
Transforming the National AIDS Response: Advancing Women’s Leadership and Participation (pdf)
"The second in a series of resource guides dedicated to highlighting strategies for incorporating gender equality and women’s rights into national HIV and AIDS responses. This publication discusses various approaches for advancing women’s leadership and meaningful participation of HIV-positive women in the AIDS response."
Traumatic Brain Injury and Domestic Violence: Understanding the Intersections
"This Special Collection offers information about the intersection between domestic violence and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). It provides advocates and other professionals with tools to screen for TBI within the context of domestic violence as well as presentations, articles, and other relevant resources on the topic. "
This forum addresses the nature and affects of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue and provides methods to identify and treat them. Hosted by expert Debby Tucker, Executive Director for the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence.
Violence & HIV/AIDS: Violence Against Women and Girls as a Cause and Consequence of HIV/AIDS (pdf)
This report examines the relationship between gender violence and women’s vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. According to the report, women are disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. They are 1.6 times more likely to contract the virus than men. The report states that violence against women is both a cause and consequence of women living with AIDS.
Violence Against Women and HIV/AIDS: Setting the Research Agenda (pdf)
This report summarizes the important future research agenda regarding the intersection of violence against women, particularly sexual violence, within the context of domestic violence and HIV/AIDS.
"Focuses on how prepared the Australian health system is to respond to challenges regarding the provision of safe, confidential places where women can receive effective support and high quality care if they disclose abuse."
Violence against Women – Facts and Figures (pdf)
"This article provides facts and figures on violence against women to illustrate the devastating toll on women’s lives, on their families, and on society as a whole."
Violence in Families: Assessing Prevention and Treatment Programs
This is a full-text online book made available courtesy of The National Academies Press. This important book, published in 1998, details out chapter by chapter the different types of interventions to be utilized by different types of professionals, as well as makes recommendations.
Violence in the Lives of Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
"This Special Collection offers information regarding the experiences and needs of individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing and victims/survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence. The collection seeks to increase knowledge and understanding of deaf culture, provide resources to assist professionals working directly with deaf individuals, and highlight best practices."
Violence Prevention Alliance: Building Global Commitment for Violence Prevention (pdf)
Published by the World Health Organization, this policy paper sets out the conceptual framework, structure and goals that guide the Violence Prevention Alliance, of which CDC is a member. The paper is divided into two sections: Introducing the Violence Prevention Alliance, and Preventing violence before it occurs. The first section presents the basics of the Alliance, including the reasons behind its creation, the contribution of the health sector, and its scope, goals and working methods. The second section describes the global magnitude of interpersonal violence, discusses its known causes, risk factors and consequences, and presents theoretical tools to organize our understanding of interpersonal violence.
Violence, Pregnancy and Abortion: Issues of Women's Rights and Public Health (pdf)
The second edition of this monograph reviews worldwide data on the the relationship between violence, pregnancy and abortion and suggests measures different sectors of society can take to reduce the suffering of women and girls, and to ensure their basic human right to be free from violence.
Visibility Through Data: Health Information for Urban American Indian and Alaska Native Communities (pdf)
"This report summarizes information for providers working toward improving the health and well-being of urban American Indian and Alaska Native communities and is a resource that highlights specific health issues facing this population. "
Welfare, Poverty, and Abused Women: New Research and its Implications (pdf)
"This summary of studies on domestic violence and TANF recipients explores their physical and mental health and work experience. It focuses on interference from their partners, barriers to work, the Family Violence Option, and the Child Support Exemption."
This report documents the prevalence of intimate partner violence and its association with women's physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health. Data is included on non-partner violence, sexual abuse during childhood and forced first sexual experience. Information is also provided on women’s responses: Whom do women turn to and whom do they tell about the violence in their lives? Do they leave or fight back? Which services do they use and what response do they get?
WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence – Country Findings: Brazil
"This fact sheet provides information on the methods and main findings of the study, with regard to the phenomenon of intimate partner violence against women in Brazil. Data on sexual abuse and non-partner physical and sexual violence is also included."
Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrow’s Agenda (pdf)
"This report reviews evidence on the health issues that particularly affect girls and women throughout their life course. This report uses currently available data to draw attention to the consequences and costs of failing to address health issues at appropriate points in their lives."
Women and HIV/AIDS: Confronting the Crisis (pdf)
"This report documents the latest information on the current HIV/AIDS pandemic, the devastating and often invisible impact of AIDS on women and girls and highlights the ways discrimination, poverty and gender-based violence help fuel the epidemic. Most importantly, the report targets the strategies to reverse the trends."
Women in Mongolia: Mapping Progress under Transition
This publication tells of Mongolian women's experiences in the context of the political and economic transformation of their country. It shares reports of women encouraged to bear many children, inadequate health care or resources, and high rates of maternal mortality. Recommendations informed through case studies are presented for improving their social and economic status and increasing their political participation.
Yaari Dosti: Young Men Redefine Masculinity (pdf)
"This training manual is a tool for those aiming to promote gender equity and address masculinity as a strategy for the prevention of HIV infection. The Manual is based on operations research that was undertaken in Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh to develop educational activities targeted to young men."
Zero Tolerance: Stop the Violence Against Women and Children, Stop HIV/AIDS (pdf)
Violence is linked to HIV. Women who have experienced violence may be up to three times more likely to acquire HIV. In addition to behavioral risk factors, there are direct consequences of unprotected forced or coerced sex, and this is compounded by global HIV/AIDS policies that fail to take seriously the realities facing women and girls. Fear of violence can prevent women from seeking VCT, disclosing their serostatus, and receiving treatment when it is needed.
Homeless
2009 KIDS COUNT Data Book: State Profiles of Child Well-being (pdf)
This 20th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book provides national and state-by-state information and statistical trends on the conditions of America’s children and families. The book reports on indicators of educational achievement, economic well-being, and health, among others. The book also ranks states on a composite indicator of child wellness, aggregating measures such as infant mortality rate, graduation rates, and children in poverty.
Domestic Violence and Homelessness (pdf)
"This fact sheet covers homelessness and DV, DV and poverty, and how women can be trapped by homelessness and violence. This piece encourages policy that reduces the risk of homeless for survivors through housing discrimination protection."
Domestic Violence and Housing (pdf)
"This fact sheet shows the risks of homelessness for DV survivors, the difficulty in obtaining permanent housing, and housing discrimination."
A new report from the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) contains case descriptions of each attack that includes sexual assault. The report notes that because crimes committed against homeless persons often go unreported, the actual numbers of non-lethal attacks is likely much higher. Rapes and sexual assaults also tend to go unreported. The report recommends that state legislatures add homeless persons as a “protected class” to hate crime legislation, and encourages police trainings so law enforcement officers will better understand homelessness and how to prevent hate crimes.
This report offers the results of a survey designed to assess the experiences of homeless youth organizations in providing services to LGBT youth. It also assessed the prevalence of LGBT youth within the homeless populations being served by these organizations.
Shattered Hearts: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of American Indian Women and Girls in Minnesota (pdf)
A groundbreaking report released by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) highlights the alarming and pervasive sex trafficking of American Indian women and girls in Minnesota. The first comprehensive report of its kind, it highlights risk factors for victims that include poverty, a disproportionate number of American Indian homeless, high incidences of overall sexual assault, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and pervasive multi-generational trauma.
The Experience of Violence in the Lives of Homeless Women: A Research Report (pdf)
This multi-site statewide study examined the experience of violence among 800 homeless women living in one of four cities in Florida. The results from the quantitative portion of the study combined with the qualitative interviews demonstrate that the homeless women taking part in the Florida Four City Study endured various combinations of victimization, homelessness and other traumatic life events and that in many cases, these experiences led the women to feel inconsequential, worthless, isolated and alone.
The Unclaimed Children Revisited, California Case Study (pdf)
"The purpose of the California Case Study is to identify, document, and analyze effective fiscal, infrastructural, and related policies that support research-informed practices for mental health services to children and adolescents in California."
Trauma-Informed Care for Women Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: A Guide for Service Providers
Trauma Informed Care for Women Veterans Experiencing Homelessness is designed to be used by community-based service agencies that work with homeless female veterans and was created to address the psychological and mental health needs of women veterans. Research suggests that 81-93% of female veterans have been exposed to some type of trauma, significantly higher rates than the civilian population (Zinzow et al., 2007). Traumatic experiences include childhood abuse and neglect, domestic violence, military sexual trauma, and combat-related stress. These experiences have a significant impact on mental and physical health, family relationships, and housing and job stability.
Violence in the Lives of Homeless Women (pdf)
Summary of a 6-year research project on family homelessness and poverty in MA. Focuses on findings on prevalence and impact of violence among homeless women, including the impact of both childhood and adult victimization on this population.
Housing
Breaking the Links Between Poverty and Violence against Women: A Resource Guide (pdf)
"This resource guide explores the ways in which poverty and violence are linked. It acknowledges the efforts of women’s groups, community organizations and service agencies that support low-income women to take control of and deal with the poverty and violence in their lives. Another area of focus is to inspire community-based groups to take action on poverty and violence issues by providing practical examples of what others are doing."
Domestic Violence and Homelessness (pdf)
"This fact sheet covers homelessness and DV, DV and poverty, and how women can be trapped by homelessness and violence. This piece encourages policy that reduces the risk of homeless for survivors through housing discrimination protection."
Domestic Violence and Housing (pdf)
"This fact sheet shows the risks of homelessness for DV survivors, the difficulty in obtaining permanent housing, and housing discrimination."
Federal Housing and Domestic Violence: Introduction to Programs, Policy, and Advocacy Opportunities
This paper provides a basic overview of the laws and policies governing the principal federal housing programs and discusses key policy issues these programs raise for battered women.
Homeless Shelters, Permanent/Supportive Housing, and Transitional Housing (pdf)
This issue brief offers homelessness services providers trauma-focused, evidence-based interventions that can be used to build the resilience and ensure the well-being of children and families exposed to violence.
"This paper offers a research on DV and homelessness and trends in federal housing policy. A model for conducting a community assessment of local housing needs includes critical thinking questions on an organization’s capacity for housing advocacy."
Housing and Battered Women: Increasing Battered Women's Access to Federal Housing Programs
This paper encourages advocates to collaborate in an effort to support proposed federal housing regulations that begin to address some of the housing needs of battered women and to submit comments to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support those sections of the proposed regulations that could give battered women faster access to housing.
This paper provides domestic violence advocates with information and strategies to promote the use of this housing program as a resource to assist battered women moving from welfare to work.
Pets and Women's Shelters: Start-Up Guide (pdf)
Recognizing both the urgent need to protect domestic violence victims from further abuse and the comfort that pets provide people, especially in times of stress and trauma, American Humane is leading a national program to guide domestic and family violence emergency housing shelters toward permitting residents to bring their pets with them. This Startup Guide provides simple, how-to methods for starting a PAWS Program at a domestic violence shelter.
Safe Havens for Pets: Guidelines for Programs Sheltering Pets for Women who are Battered (pdf)
This paper is the consolidation of interviews with professionals from 21 domestic violence and 20 animal welfare agencies beginning to operate or already operating programs sheltering pets for women who are battered. Information provided covers the evolution and operation of their programs, the policies and procedures they have established, challenges and obstacles they have confronted, and some of their successes and failures.
State Housing Laws and Legislation to Ensure Housing Rights for Survivors of Violence Against Women
"Providing comprehensive information on current, pending and unsuccessfully proposed legislation protecting the housing rights of survivors of domestic violence, this document is intended for use by advocates, attorneys and organizations."
Trauma-Informed Domestic Violence Services, 3-part series
The term "trauma-informed" is used to describe organizations and practices that incorporate an understanding of the pervasiveness and impact of trauma and that are designed to reduce retraumatization, support healing and resiliency, and address the root causes of abuse and violence. The resources compiled in this new 3-part Special Collection Series reflect this integrated perspective.
Part 1: Understanding the Framework and Approach
Part 2: Building Program Capacity
Part 3: Developing Collaborations and Increasing Access
U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"This DOJ Report has data on IPV based on estimates from the NCVS. This report is often cited for the finding that intimate partner victimization rates were significantly higher for people living in rental housing vs. those living in their own homes."
Immigrant/Immigration
(Un)heard Voices: Domestic Violence in the Asian American Community (pdf)
This publication is based on the results of a focus group with Asian immigrant women and Asian American women from different backgrounds. Various questions and issues are addressed such as identifying victims and perpetrators, prevalence of domestic violence in Asian communities, barriers confronting Asian women and more. The report also gives recommendations to service providers and a national list of organizations committed to serving battered Asian women.
15 Years of the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences (pdf)
This report reviews the status of violence against women as researched in 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, and 11 communication reports published as recently as December 2008. The report focuses on reproductive health and rights, poverty, migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women refugees, trafficking, aging, and adolescent girls. It also highlights how the mandate on violence against women has changed, what has been learned, and problems still to be addressed.
A Comparison of Domestic Violence Advocacy Models (pdf)
This document contains a chart comparing domestic violence advocacy models and serves as a reference for effective advocacy for Latinas.
Access to HHS-Funded Services for Immigrant Survivors of Domestic Violence
January 2001 Fact Sheet. This Fact Sheet is intended to provide guidance to health and social service agencies and community-based organizations about eligibility for all the various programs and services funded by Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
This Applied Research paper provides an overview of the methodological issues in research used to generate knowledge of the nature and dynamics of domestic violence in immigrant communities, the research findings that help us understand the broad contexts within which immigrant women experience domestic violence, and provides some considerations for culturally competent services.
Battered Immigrants and U.S. Citizen Spouses (pdf)
Designed to help adjudicators who decide cases involving battered immigrant women to better understand and consider the evidence presented, this paper reviews and provided data about the dynamics of domestic violence experienced by immigrant women. The authors demonstrate how power and control over the immigration status of an immigrant partner enhances the likelihood and severity of abuse. Examples of immigration-related tactics of abuse are provided.
"The purpose of this study was to learn how CPS can be more responsive to families experiencing domestic violence and child abuse and neglect; learn how domestic violence advocates can be more effective in helping clients to respond to allegations of or actual child abuse and neglect and CPS interventions; explore how community can be more responsive to partner abuse and child abuse and neglect and provide support to families involved with CPS; and experiment with a research design that accomplishes the first step of participatory research and at the same time empowers advocates and survivors."
Batterer Intervention Program Enrollment and Completion Among Immigrant Men in Massachusetts (pdf)
"This study describes immigrant clients enrolled in Massachusetts batterer intervention (BI) programs from 2002 to 2004. The study seeks to describe the immigrant men enrolled in Massachusetts BI programs, investigate whether immigrants were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were nonimmigrants, and investigate whether immigrants in non-English, culturally specific groups were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were immigrants in mainstream groups."
Breaking Barriers: A Complete Guide to Legal Rights and Resources for Battered Immigrants
This manual seeks to explain the complex topics of domestic violence and immigration laws that are intended to assist immigrant survivors. The goal of this manual is to provide support and assistance to advocates and attorneys, arming them with the knowledge they need to confidently provide effective assistance to battered immigrant victims and the immigrant community.
Breaking the Links Between Poverty and Violence against Women: A Resource Guide (pdf)
"This resource guide explores the ways in which poverty and violence are linked. It acknowledges the efforts of women’s groups, community organizations and service agencies that support low-income women to take control of and deal with the poverty and violence in their lives. Another area of focus is to inspire community-based groups to take action on poverty and violence issues by providing practical examples of what others are doing."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (pdf)
"A guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in Spanish."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (Spanish) (pdf)
"The first ever guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in English."
This manual provides suggestions and guidance on how to organize projects at improving services and eliminating barriers for ensuring safety for battered rural immigrant women.
Chinese Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
"Chinese translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. The spiral implicitly locates a range of abuses in the lives of girls and women, revealing patterns of victimization and perpetration. The Lifetime Spiral is designed to be used by everyone to identify histories of violence in their own lives or in the lives of family and friends."
Community Engagement Curriculum Guide (pdf)
This training curriculum is based on a report from the API Institute on Domestic Violence titled "The Community Engagement Continuum: Outreach, Mobilization, Organizing and Accountability to Address Violence Against Women in Asian & Pacific Islander Communities".
Culture Handbook for working with those who have experienced sexual or domestic violence (pdf)
"This handbook is designed to be used by advocates and professionals who work with those who are victims of domestic and sexual violence. It provides some basic information on how to understand culture and begin the process of challenging oneself to become more aware of the ways in which culture impacts our work and the lives of those who are victims."
This handbook is intended for organizations of any size that are interested in developing a bilingual or multilingual legal referral hotline to assist recent immigrant communities with their legal needs. The handbook presents ten fundamental steps to guide any organization. The previous .pdf file containing the handbook is no longer available. The link is to an order form for those who are interested.
Domestic Violence in Communities of Color (pdf)
"This "Facts & Stats Collection" paper highlights specific issues and distinguishing dynamics that confront different women of color, including African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American/Alaskan Indian women."
Domestic Violence Information in Asian Languages (pdf)
A list of websites and weblinks containing domestic violence related resources in various Asian and Pacific Islander languages.
Fact Sheet: Domestic Violence in Filipino Communities (pdf)
A brief fact sheet on the demographics and statistics of domestic violence in Filipino communities that includes a selected list of translated materials and resources in the Tagalog and Ilocano languages.
Facts & Stats: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Homes (pdf)
"Facts & Stats raises awareness about the experiences of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander battered women; counters denial about the problem; emphasizes the need for socio-culturally effective prevention and intervention; and serves to guide future research and inform public policy."
Farsi Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence (pdf)
Farsi translation of the Lifetime Spiral of Gender Violence. It locates a range of abuses and abusers in the lives of girls and women, re